| (a) The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (the Department)
may provide training and education for its employees in accordance
with Government Code, Chapter 656, Subchapter C.
(b) The Department may spend public funds as appropriate
to pay the costs associated with employee training, including, but
not limited to, salary, tuition and other fees, travel and living
expenses, training stipend, expense of training materials and other
necessary expenses of an instructor, student or other participant
in a training or education program.
(c) The Department may contract with another state,
local or federal department, agency or institution, including a state-supported
college or university, to train or educate its employees or may join
in presenting a training or educational program.
(d) An employee of the Department may be required to
attend, as part of the employee's duties, a training or education
program related to the employee's duties or prospective duties. However,
the training or education must be related to the current or prospective
job duties of the employee.
(e) The Department's training and educational program
may include, but is not limited to, the following:
(1) preparing for technological and legal developments;
(2) increasing work capabilities;
(3) increasing the number of qualified employees in
areas designated by institutions of higher education as having an
acute faculty shortage; and
(4) increasing the competence of agency employees.
(f) Approval to participate in a training program is
not automatic and may be subject to the availability of funds within
a division's budget.
(g) Materials purchased by the Department for employee
training are the property of Department and must be relinquished to
Department upon transfer of the employee's position or separation
from employment.
(h) Certain obligations may be required of Department
employees upon completion of training, including, but not limited
to, the following:
(1) An employee may be required to discuss information
obtained at the training with other Department employees.
(2) An employee may be required to share materials
obtained from training with other Department employees, to the extent
such sharing does not violate copyright law.
(3) An employee may be required to assume additional
job duties for which the training prepared the employee.
(4) An employee may be required to conduct training
for other Department employees concerning the information or skills
taught at the training program.
(i) The Department's employee training program may
include, but is not limited to, the following components:
(1) agency sponsored training;
(2) seminars and conferences;
(3) internet training; and,
(4) tuition reimbursement.
(j) The executive director shall adopt policies related
to training for Department employees.
(k) A reimbursement to an employee or administrator
for tuition under the provisions of Government Code, §656.047
must be approved by the executive director before the reimbursement
is paid.
|
