(a) The agency may use state funds, when available, to provide training or education for its administrators and full- or part-time employees, including 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. The training must be related to the duties or prospective duties of the administrator or employee.

(b) "Training" as used in this rule means instruction, teaching, or other education received by a state employee that is not normally received by other state employees and that is designed to enhance the ability of the employee to perform the employee's job. The term includes a course of study at an institution of higher education or a private or independent institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, if the agency spends money to assist the state employee to meet the expense of the course of study or pays salary to the employee to undertake the course of study as an assigned duty. The term does not include training required either by state or federal law or that is determined necessary by the agency and offered to all employees of the agency performing similar jobs.

(c) All administrators and active employees are eligible to participate in job-related training or education programs supported by the agency, including training inside or outside the agency, seminars and conferences, college and university coursework and online training.

(d) When an administrator or employee seeks reimbursement for a training or education program offered by an institution of higher education, the agency may only reimburse the tuition expenses for a program course successfully completed by an employee at an accredited institution of higher education. Reimbursement for such program courses requires the approval of the executive administrator.

(e) After completing an education or training program sponsored by the agency, an administrator or employee will be required, if applicable, to:

(1) Discuss information obtained and share materials with other agency employees, to the extent that sharing does not violate copyright laws;

(2) Assume additional job duties for which the training or education program prepared the employee; and/or

(3) Conduct training for other department employees based on the information or skills taught at the training or education program.

(f) The executive administrator will adopt policies and procedures to obtain training and/or education for administrators and employees that include eligibility requirements and procedures for reimbursement that are in conformity with these rules and Texas Government Code Chapter 656, Subchapters C and D.

Source Note: The provisions of this §353.31 adopted to be effective April 11, 2001, 26 TexReg 2745; amended to be effective December 8, 2016, 41 TexReg 9586