The Mandate Extends Beyond Austin
When Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 2060 in 2025, the headlines focused on state agencies. Terms like "DIR-certified training" and "Texas Government Code Section 2054.5193" circulated through capitol hallways and agency IT departments. But there is a widespread misconception that the AI training mandate applies only to state-level employees working in Austin office buildings.
That assumption is wrong - and it could leave your city, county, or school district out of compliance.
The law applies broadly to government employees across Texas. If your entity operates under state law and your staff members use computers in their daily work, there is a strong likelihood that you fall within the scope of the AI awareness training requirement. This article breaks down exactly who must comply, which employees need to complete training, and how local governments can implement a compliant program efficiently.
The Legal Framework: What the Law Actually Says
The AI training mandate originates from two key sections of the Texas Government Code. Section 2054.5191 establishes that the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) must create AI training program certification standards. Section 2054.5193 requires government employees to complete training that meets those standards.
HB 2060 (2025) expanded the scope of these requirements. The bill did not limit compliance to executive branch agencies or large state departments. Instead, it used the broad term "governmental entity," which under Texas law encompasses a wide range of public organizations at every level of government.
Key Legal Point
The statute uses the term "governmental entity" broadly. If your organization is created by or operates under Texas law and performs a governmental function, you should evaluate whether you fall within the training requirement. When in doubt, consult your entity's legal counsel or contact DIR directly.
The DIR certification standards require training to cover three core areas:
- General explanation of AI - what it is and how public sector employees can use it
- Risks and limitations of AI - including bias, hallucination, and data quality concerns
- Best practices for responsible and ethical AI use - human oversight, transparency, and accountability
Who Must Comply at the Local Level
The scope of the AI training mandate reaches well beyond state agencies in Austin. The following types of local government entities should be prepared to comply:
Cities and Municipalities
From the largest metropolitan areas to small towns, Texas cities employ thousands of staff who rely on computers daily. City managers, clerks, finance officers, planning staff, HR departments, code enforcement officers, and utility billing teams all fall within the likely scope. Any Texas city with employees using computers for a quarter or more of their duties should plan for AI awareness training.
Counties
Texas has 254 counties, each with its own set of elected officials and administrative staff. County clerks, tax assessor-collector offices, district attorney staff, court administrators, auditors, and county IT teams all use digital tools extensively. County judges and commissioners courts should ensure that their workforce is accounted for in compliance planning.
Independent School Districts (ISDs)
School districts represent one of the largest categories of local government employees in Texas. While classroom teachers may or may not meet the 25% computer-use threshold depending on their role, many ISD employees clearly do. Central office administrators, registrars, HR and payroll staff, curriculum coordinators, technology specialists, counselors using digital student information systems, and campus principals all use computers as a core part of their work.
Special Districts
Texas has thousands of special-purpose districts that perform governmental functions. These include:
- Water districts and river authorities
- Hospital districts and public health authorities
- Utility districts (MUDs, PUDs, WCIDs)
- Emergency services districts
- Transportation authorities and transit districts
- Housing authorities
If staff at these entities use computers regularly, they should be included in your compliance planning.
Councils of Government and Regional Entities
Texas has 24 regional councils of government (COGs) that coordinate planning and services across jurisdictions. Staff at these organizations typically work in data-intensive roles and should be included in training plans.
Higher Education Institutions
Public universities, community colleges, and technical colleges are state entities with large administrative workforces. Administrative and support staff who use computers for 25% or more of their duties fall within the training requirement.
Which Employees Must Complete the Training
The law establishes a clear threshold: any government employee who uses a computer or digital device for 25% or more of their regular job duties must complete AI awareness training annually.
Roles That Typically Meet the 25% Threshold
- Administrative assistants
- Finance and accounting staff
- HR and payroll personnel
- IT professionals
- Clerks and records managers
- Procurement officers
- City/county managers
- Planning and zoning staff
- Communications officers
- Legal and compliance staff
- Data analysts and GIS specialists
- Grant coordinators
Roles that are less likely to meet the threshold include field maintenance crews, custodial staff, groundskeepers, lifeguards, and similar positions where computer use is incidental to the primary job function. However, each entity should conduct its own assessment rather than making blanket assumptions about job categories.
Common Challenges Local Governments Face
While state agencies often have dedicated compliance teams and established relationships with DIR, local governments frequently encounter unique obstacles when implementing new training mandates.
Budget Constraints
Many cities, counties, and school districts operate under tight budgets with little room for new training expenses. Unlike large state agencies that may have dedicated professional development budgets, a small county with 50 employees may not have allocated any funds for AI training. The key is finding cost-effective solutions. A self-paced, online training program that takes about an hour to complete is far more economical than multi-day workshops or consultant-led sessions.
Smaller IT Teams
State agencies often have large IT departments that can coordinate training rollouts. A small city might have one IT person - or none at all. Training implementation needs to be simple enough that an HR director or city administrator can manage enrollment and tracking without specialized technical support.
Less Awareness of State Mandates
State agency directors receive communications from DIR and the Governor's Office regularly. A county tax assessor or school district superintendent may not receive the same level of direct notification about new training requirements. Many local government leaders first learn about the AI training mandate through word of mouth, professional associations, or articles like this one.
Tracking and Reporting
Local governments must be able to demonstrate compliance if audited. This means tracking which employees completed training, when they completed it, and whether they received a passing score. A DIR-certified training platform with built-in tracking and certificate generation simplifies this process significantly.
How to Implement AI Training Efficiently
Local governments can achieve compliance without disrupting operations or overspending. Here is a practical roadmap:
5-Step Implementation Checklist
- Audit your workforce. Identify every employee who uses a computer for 25% or more of their duties. Work with department heads to get accurate counts.
- Choose a DIR-certified training program. Using a DIR-certified provider is the most straightforward path to compliance. The certification confirms the training meets all required standards.
- Set up bulk enrollment. Most certified providers offer bulk enrollment options. Contact us for volume pricing tailored to your entity size.
- Establish a completion timeline. Do not wait until August. Set internal deadlines well ahead of the August 31 fiscal year deadline. Consider rolling enrollment so employees complete training during slower periods.
- Document everything. Maintain records of completion certificates, employee rosters, and compliance reports. A good training platform will generate these automatically.
Real-World Scenarios
Understanding the mandate is easier when you see how it applies in practice. Here are two scenarios that illustrate the requirement in everyday local government work.
Scenario: County Clerk's Office
Maria works as a deputy county clerk in a mid-sized Texas county. She uses a computer for approximately 80% of her duties - processing property records, managing vital statistics databases, handling election filings, and responding to public records requests. Recently, her county started exploring AI-powered search tools that could help residents find recorded documents more quickly.
Maria clearly meets the 25% threshold. Through AI awareness training, she would learn how to evaluate whether an AI search tool produces accurate results, understand the risks of bias in automated document classification, and know when to apply human oversight before relying on AI-generated responses to public inquiries.
Scenario: School District Administrator
James is the scheduling coordinator for a Texas ISD with 12 campuses. He spends most of his day working in scheduling software, student information systems, and spreadsheets. His district recently considered using an AI tool to optimize bell schedules and balance class sizes across campuses.
James meets the computer-use threshold. AI awareness training would prepare him to assess whether the scheduling tool's recommendations are equitable across student populations, recognize potential bias in how the algorithm distributes resources, and understand his responsibility to review and validate AI-generated schedules before implementation. He would also learn the importance of understanding AI risks such as hallucinated data or flawed assumptions in the model.
Compliance Timeline and Deadlines
The Texas fiscal year runs from September 1 through August 31. For FY 2025-2026, all qualifying employees must complete AI awareness training by August 31, 2026. This is an annual requirement - employees must complete fresh training each fiscal year.
Local governments should not wait until summer to begin training. A phased rollout starting in the spring allows time for troubleshooting, ensures IT staff can support employees who need help accessing the platform, and avoids a last-minute rush that could disrupt regular operations.
For a detailed breakdown of the compliance timeline and what happens if your entity misses the deadline, read our article on the Texas AI training deadline and consequences of non-compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Under Texas Government Code Section 2054.5191, local government entities - including cities, counties, and special districts - must ensure that employees who use a computer for 25% or more of their duties complete AI awareness training annually. The requirement applies to all governmental entities in Texas, not only state agencies.
Yes. Independent School Districts are classified as local government entities under Texas law. Administrative and support staff who use computers for at least 25% of their duties must complete DIR-certified AI awareness training each fiscal year. This includes roles such as registrars, HR staff, finance personnel, and campus administrators.
Any employee who uses a computer or digital device for 25% or more of their regular job duties must complete the training. This threshold captures most office-based, administrative, and professional roles. It does not typically apply to field workers, custodial staff, or positions with minimal computer use.
The compliance deadline is August 31 of each fiscal year. For FY 2025-2026, all qualifying employees must complete their AI awareness training by August 31, 2026. Training must be repeated annually.
The training must align with DIR certification standards. Using a DIR-certified program is the simplest way to demonstrate compliance. If your entity develops its own training, it must cover all three DIR-required topics: general AI explanation, risks and limitations, and best practices for responsible and ethical AI use.
Many DIR-certified training providers offer volume discounts, self-paced online courses, and bulk enrollment options designed for smaller entities. Evolve AI Institute, for example, provides enterprise pricing for agencies of all sizes. The training takes approximately one hour per employee, minimizing disruption to daily operations.
Take Action Now
The AI training mandate is not limited to state agencies in Austin. Cities, counties, school districts, special districts, and other local government entities across Texas must ensure their qualifying employees complete DIR-certified AI awareness training annually. The August 31, 2026 deadline for this fiscal year may seem distant, but early planning ensures smooth implementation and avoids compliance gaps.
Evolve AI Institute's DIR-certified AI Awareness Training for Texas Government is designed for exactly this purpose. The self-paced, one-hour course covers all three DIR-required topics, issues verifiable certificates upon completion, and includes compliance reporting tools so your entity can track and demonstrate completion across your workforce.
Whether you are a city manager in a town of 5,000 or a superintendent overseeing a district with 2,000 employees, the requirement is the same. Get started with individual enrollment or contact us for bulk pricing to bring your entire entity into compliance.