HB3512

HB3512 adds certified artificial-intelligence training to the existing training framework for certain state and local government personnel. Signed June 20, 2025, it took effect September 1, 2025, and directs the Department of Information Resources (DIR) to adopt implementation rules as soon as practicable. Final law · Official history

The annual AI-training requirement covers state employees who use a computer for at least 25% of their required duties, plus each elected or appointed officer of the agency. For local governments, it covers employees and elected or appointed officials who both have access to a government computer system or database and use a computer for at least 25% of their required duties. This is not a requirement for every Texas resident or private-sector worker.

School districts have a different schedule for employees: only the cybersecurity coordinator must complete the AI training annually. Other covered school employees train on the schedule determined by the district in consultation with the coordinator. DIR’s guidance explains that elected officials remain subject to the local-government requirements. Existing exceptions also remain for military and family/medical leave, and specified other leave or access-denial situations; some exceptions require loss of system access. DIR training requirements and exceptions

DIR must annually certify at least five training programs, update certification standards and publish the certified list. Programs must teach how AI relates to public employees’ duties and best practices for deploying and operating it. The law requires AI programs to be equal in length to certified cybersecurity programs; it does not prescribe one universal number of training hours. DIR may certify government-provided courses or use an independent third party for certification, and must consult an attached board or council authorized to advise on AI and other interested people.

Agencies and local governments select appropriate certified programs and verify completion. Local governments must report completion to DIR and require periodic compliance audits; state agency heads verify completion in the specified manner. DIR must supply a form that can record completion percentages. The act also adds AI compliance to state strategic-plan certifications, subject to the existing strategic-planning framework.

Certain grants carry financial consequences. For grants under Government Code Chapter 772, local governments must certify compliance with the required AI and cybersecurity training. If the governor’s criminal justice division determines a recipient has not complied with either requirement, the government must repay an amount equal to the award and is ineligible for another grant under that chapter until the determination’s second anniversary. This is not a penalty attached to every grant from every agency.

DIR’s current implementation page provides a free certified AI-awareness course and instructs governments to certify compliance annually by August 31. It says employers must track completion themselves; its free course does not provide tracking or completion certificates. Those are implementation details from DIR, not a claim that every employer has completed training.