Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 1498 amends the Education Code to allow The University of Texas System board of regents to charge each student at The University of Texas at Arlington a recreational facility fee to finance recreational facilities or recreational programs at the university. Imposition of the initial fee, which is limited to specific amounts depending on the length of the semester or term in which it is levied, is subject to approval by a majority of the students voting in an election called for that purpose. The bill allows the board to increase the amount of the fee from one academic year to the next with the approval of the student government's legislative body, but any increase of more than 10 percent must also be approved by a majority vote in a student election called for that purpose. The bill also establishes caps, above the initial limits, for each semester or summer session term.

            The bill includes provisions for the appointment of a recreational facility student advisory committee to advise the president and for the deposit of fee revenues in a recreational facility fee account. It also provides for the granting of permission for non-students to use a facility financed with fee revenue if the use does not interfere with students' use of the facility, the non-student is also charged a fee for using the facility that is not less than either the student fee or the university's costs of providing for the use, and the use does not increase the university's potential liability.