BILL ANALYSIS


                                                     C.S.H.B. 815
                                               By: Goolsby (Cain)
                                                        Education
                                                          4-20-95
                            Senate Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND

The University of Texas at Dallas does not have a facility large
enough to accommodate student gatherings such as graduation and
recreational activities.  In the past, the university has used
remote facilities for such gatherings.  The student body has voted
to impose a fee to finance, construct and operate a recreational
facility.

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.H.B. 815 authorizes the board of regents of the
University of Texas System to charge students enrolled at the
University of Texas at Dallas a recreational facility fee to
finance, construct, equip, operate, maintain, or improve student
recreational facilities or programs.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or
agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 54E, Education Code, by adding Section
54.544, as follows:

     Sec.  54.544.  RECREATIONAL FACILITY FEE;  THE UNIVERSITY OF
     TEXAS AT DALLAS.  (a)  Authorizes the board of regents (board)
     of the University of Texas System (system) to charge each
     student enrolled at the University of Texas at Dallas a
     recreational facility (facility) fee to finance, construct,
     equip, operate, maintain, or improve student facilities or
     programs at the university.
     
     (b)  Prohibits a facility fee from exceeding certain amounts
       for a semester or summer session.
     (b-1)  Prohibits a facility fee from exceeding certain
       amounts for a semester or summer sessions before the fall
       semester of 1998.
       
       (b-2)   Provides that Subsection (b-1) and this subsection
       expire January 1, 1999.
     (c)  Prohibits a facility fee from being charged or
       increased unless charging or increasing the fee is approved
       by a majority vote of the students participating in a
       general student election called for that purpose.
       
       (d)  Requires the board to collect a fee charged under this
       section and deposit the fee in an account known as the
       recreational facility account.
       
       (e)  Authorizes the board to pledge a fee charged under this
       section to pay an obligation issued under the revenue
       financing method of the system.
       
       (f)  Prohibits a fee charged under this section from being
       counted in determining the maximum amount of student
       services fees that may be charged under Section 54.503(b).
       
     SECTION 2.     Amends Sections 54.538(a), (b), and (c), Education Code,
as follows:

     (a)  Authorizes the board of regents of the Texas State
     University System to charge each student enrolled at an
     institution a recreational sports fee not to exceed $50,
     rather than $35, per semester or 10-week summer session or
     $25, rather than $17.50, per five-week summer session, if
     approved by student vote.  Makes a nonsubstantive change.
     
     (b)  Prohibits the recreation fee authorized by this section
     from being increased more than 10 percent from one academic
     year to the next unless the increase has been approved by a
     majority vote of those students at the affected institution
     participating in a general student election called for that
     purpose.  Prohibits the fee from exceeding the amounts
     provided by Subsection (a).
     
     (c)  Requires each system institution, rather than each
     university, to collect any student recreational sports fee and
     deposit the money in the student recreational sports account.
     
     SECTION 3.     Provides that this Act applies beginning with the fall
semester of 1995.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.
           Effective date:  upon passage.