COLLEGE STATION – Public officials who are required to know and individuals who just want to know more about the Texas Open Meetings Act now have access to an online training, according to officials with the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
The course — developed by the institute and the law firm of Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta — costs $10 and provides one continuing education credit. The course has been approved by the Texas Office of the Attorney General and the Texas Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance Division. Participants can enroll at http://vgyi.tamu.edu/online-education/.
“Knowledge of the Texas Open Meetings Act is required for all elected officials in the state,” said Rick Avery of College Station, director of the county government institute. “And the training also is good for interested citizens who interact with those officials.”
The online course covers all training that is required by law, the Texas Office of Attorney General Open Meetings Handbook, the open meetings act statutory analysis and a legislative update.
Though the course takes about one hour to complete, Avery noted, participants are able to log-off during the training and return to complete it, if necessary. A certificate of completion can be downloaded and printed at the conclusion of the online course.
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