CEU/CLE Credits

The Office of the Attorney General will give CEU/CLE credits from the following organizations to those who attend the conference in person: You must sign in daily to get CEU credit.

•    Texas County & District Clerks' Association - 14 hours
•    Texas State Board of Public Accountancy - 13 hours 
•    Texas Municipal League
•    Texas State Board of Tax Professional Examiners - 13 hours
•    Texas State Bar - 11.25 hours (Course Number: 174260842)
•    TCOLE - 15 hours  

Details on the number of credits to be issued will be included in the printed agendas provided at the conference.

You will be able to print your own certificate of participation after the conference.

 

 

 

Mon., Dec. 2, 2024

4:30 – 5:3o p.m.              Early Sign-in (closed today at 5:15)

Tues., Dec. 3, 2024

7:30 – 8:15 a.m.              Sign-in and Breakfast  
  
8:15 – 8:30 a.m.             Welcome Remarks 
  
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.             Basics of the Open Meetings Act

This session is an introductory course on the Open Meetings Act.  It will address the applicability of the Act, basic notice requirements, open and closed sessions, record keeping, and penalties and consequences for failure to comply with the Act. Attending this session will fulfill the training requirement of Government Code section 551.005.  

9:30 – 10:30 a.m.        Public Information Act 101

This session provides an overview of the Public Information Act and its exceptions.  Attending this session will fulfill the requirement for public officials or their designees to complete training on the Public Information Act under section 552.012 of the Government Code.

10:30 – 10:45 a.m.        AM Break

10:45 – 11:15 a.m.        Cost Rules Basics

This session will cover the basics of the Public Information Act’s cost rules.  We will go through exactly what charges are allowed under the Public Information Act.  This session will also cover your statutory obligations when charging for providing records, including when your deadlines may change.   

11:15 a.m. – Noon        Records Retention

This session will provide an overview of the guidelines on records retention. 

Noon – 1:30 p.m.        Working Lunch/Keynote Speaker 

We welcome Senator Tan Parker. Senator Parker has been with the Texas legislature for seventeen years and considers working for the betterment of Texas the highest honor of his professional life.  Senator Parker will share    his experiences and thoughts on the value of transparency in    Texas government.

1:30 – 2 p.m.        Roadmap to a Request

This session will lay out a roadmap for a request, including some of the possible twists and turns.  As the basic presentations during the morning discuss, responding to a request may often involve different courses of action.  This presentation will review these different paths and look at what step may be next.

2 – 3 p.m.           Requesting a Ruling 

This session will cover the what, when, and how to submit       information with a ruling is required under the Public Information Act. Through practical examples and best practices, the presentation will also look at how to best write your brief.
 
3 – 3:15 p.m.        PM Break

3:15 – 4 p.m.     No Decision Needed: How, and What, to Redact Without an Attorney General Decision.  

Governmental bodies can withhold numerous types of information without the necessity of requesting an attorney general decision. This presentation will address redacting information as allowed by Public Information Act and other laws so you can release to requestors quickly and accurately. 
  
4 – 5 p.m.                     What To Do After a Ruling 

This session will focus on what to do once you have received a ruling from the Open Records Division.  We will walk you through how to understand the ruling and apply it to your information. 

5 p.m.                    Conference Day 1 Adjourns

 

Wed., Dec. 4, 2024                                
  
8 – 8:30 a.m.                        Sign-in and Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.                    The Cost Rules Exam

Grab your coffee and let’s start the day with a pop quiz.  Test your knowledge on the cost rules, including the basics covered on Day 1 and some more advanced concepts.  The quiz with go over multiple practical and everyday examples of charges.

9:30 – 10:30 am.         Hot Topics: Rules & Tools to Help You Succeed 

This session will provide a second look at some of the recent changes to the Public Information Act.  This presentation includes information and practical examples on business days, catastrophe notices, and the new e-filing rules.

10:30 – 10:45 a.m.                    AM Break 

10:45 – 11:30 a.m.        Practical Tech Tips 

As more records are maintained electronically, it is important to understand the best way to provide information electronically.  This session will cover some practical tips for marking and providing information electronically.  

11:30 – 1 p.m.        Lunch on your own

1 – 2 p.m.        Personnel Files and Privacy Exceptions 

This session will focus on the privacy doctrines and statutes that make certain information confidential by law, including guidance on common types of information to watch for.  The presenter will go over a case study personnel file from start to finish.   

2 – 3 p.m.        Common Administrative Record Exceptions

This session will look at the most common exceptions raised for everyday records.  This presentation will view the exceptions through sample documents, including communications, bills, and memos.

3 – 3:15 p.m.            PM Break    

3:15 – 4 p.m.        Third Party Records and Financial Documents

This session will cover the exceptions to disclosure that may be present in various financial documents maintained by governmental bodies, including special considerations unique to these documents. 

4 – 5 p.m.                    Law Enforcement Records 

This session will cover the exceptions that are particular to records created by law enforcement agencies.  This session will also look at where these records may appear fort non law enforcement agencies.
  

5 p.m.                    Conference Day 2 Adjourns