S.B. No. 579
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to a student union building fee at The University of
    1-2  Texas--Pan American.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
    1-5  amended by adding Section 54.541 to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 54.541.  STUDENT UNION BUILDING FEE; THE UNIVERSITY OF
    1-7  TEXAS--PAN AMERICAN.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (c) of
    1-8  this section, the board of regents of The University of Texas
    1-9  System may levy a student union fee, not to exceed $30 for each
   1-10  student for each regular semester or $15 for each student for each
   1-11  term of the summer session, for the sole purpose of financing,
   1-12  constructing, operating, maintaining, and improving a student union
   1-13  building for The University of Texas--Pan American.
   1-14        (b)  The board of regents may pledge the fees levied under
   1-15  this section to pay obligations issued pursuant to the revenue
   1-16  financing system of The University of Texas System.
   1-17        (c)  A student union fee levied under this section may not be
   1-18  levied or increased unless the levy or increase is approved by a
   1-19  majority vote of those students participating in a general election
   1-20  held for that purpose.
   1-21        (d)  Student union fees levied under this section are in
   1-22  addition to any other fee the board of regents is authorized by law
   1-23  to charge and may not be considered in determining the maximum
    2-1  student services fee that may be charged under Section 54.503(b) of
    2-2  this code.
    2-3        (e)  The board shall deposit student union fees levied under
    2-4  this section to the credit of an account known as The University of
    2-5  Texas--Pan American Student Union Fee Account.
    2-6        (f)  Notwithstanding Section 51.002 of this code, student
    2-7  union fees levied under this section are under the control of the
    2-8  Student Union Advisory Committee.  The committee annually shall
    2-9  submit to the president of The University of Texas--Pan American a
   2-10  complete and itemized budget with a complete report of all
   2-11  activities conducted during the past year and all expenditures made
   2-12  in connection with those activities.  The president shall submit
   2-13  the budget to the board of regents as part of the institutional
   2-14  budget.  Before approving the budget, the board of regents may make
   2-15  changes in the budget that the board determines are necessary.
   2-16  After approving the budget, the board, in accordance with this
   2-17  section, may levy the student union fees for that year in amounts
   2-18  sufficient to meet the budgetary needs of the student union
   2-19  building.
   2-20        SECTION 2.  The fee authorized by Section 54.541, Education
   2-21  Code, as added by this Act, applies beginning with the fall
   2-22  semester 1993 if the fee is approved by majority vote of those
   2-23  students participating in a general election held for that purpose.
   2-24        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-25  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-1  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-2  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-3  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    3-4  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    3-5  passage, and it is so enacted.