DIRECTOR TRAINING PROGRAM.

(a) A person who is appointed to and qualifies for office as a director may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a director in attendance at a board meeting until the person completes a training program that complies with this section.

(b) The training program must provide the person with information regarding:

(1) the law governing district operations;

(2) the district's programs, functions, rules, and budget;

(3) the scope of and limitations on the district's rulemaking authority;

(4) the results of the district's most recent formal audit;

(5) the requirements of:

(A) laws relating to open meetings, public information, administrative procedure, and disclosing conflicts of interest; and

(B) other laws applicable to members of the governing body of a water district in performing their duties; and

(6) any applicable ethics policies adopted by the board or the Texas Ethics Commission.

(c) A person appointed to the board is entitled to reimbursement for the travel expenses incurred in attending the training program regardless of whether the attendance at the program occurs before or after the person qualifies for office.

(d) The board shall create a training manual that includes the information required by Subsection (b). The board shall distribute a copy of the training manual annually to each director. On receipt of the training manual, each director shall sign a statement acknowledging receipt of the training manual.