BILL ANALYSIS



C.S.H.B. 2994
By: Dukes
03-28-95
Committee Report (Substituted)


BACKGROUND

As early as 1987, several registered student organizations at the
University of Austin initiated the proposal for a statue of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.  The project went through several
alternative funding discussions which initially included private
fundraising.  Permission to proceed with the 5-year fundraising
effort was approved by the U. T. System Board of Regents on
December 6, 1990.  Since then, the original organizers have
graduated, fundraising efforts have lagged, and a new solution
involving student fees was developed.

A student referendum was held and approved in March, 1995 to
support a $1 student fee to fund the construction of a Martin
Luther King, Jr. statue on the east mall of the campus of The
University of Texas at Austin.  The fee will expire four years
after the effective date.  Of the 1,721 votes cast in the
referendum, 61% voted yes and 39% voted no.


PURPOSE

H.B. 2994, as substituted would authorize The University of Texas
System Board of Regents to levy a $1 student fee to fund the Martin
Luther King, Jr. statue at The University of Texas at Austin.  The
fee would expire on August 31, 1999.


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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


SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 54E, Education Code, by adding Section
54.5133 to read as 
follows:

     Sec. 54.5133.  MARTIN LUTHER KING STATUE FEE: THE UNIVERSITY
OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.  (a)  Authorizes the board of regents of The
University of Texas System to levy a fee of $1 per student for any
semester or summer session for students registered at The
University of Texas at Austin.  The fee shall be used for funding
the construction of a Martin Luther King, Jr. statue on the campus
of The University of Texas at Austin and to establish Martin Luther
King, Jr. scholarships.

     (b)  Authorizes that the fees collected shall be deposited
into the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue fee account for the
purposes outlined in subsection (a). 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  Fall semester, 1995.  Expires on
August 31, 1999 or when sufficient funds have been collected for
the statue.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.



COMPARISON OF SUBSTITUTE TO ORIGINAL

SECTION 1 amends Chapter 54 E, Education Code, by adding Section
54.5133 (a) as follows:  The fee shall be used for the construction
while the original bill stated that the funding may be used for
this purpose.  In the substitute, the Martin Luther King, Jr.
student scholarship
is established.

SECTION 2 allows for the fee authorized by Sec. 54.5133 to expire
on August 31, 1999 or when sufficient funds for the statue have
been collected, whichever comes first.


SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

H.B. 2994 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on
April 4, 1995.  

The chair recognized Representative Dawnna Dukes to explain the
bill.

The committee considered a complete substitute for the bill.  

The chair recognized Representative Dawnna Dukes to close.

The bill was left pending.

H.B. 2994 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on
April 4, 1995.  An amendment was offered to the substitute.  The
amendment was adopted without objection by a non-record vote.  The
substitute, as amended was adopted without objection by a non-record vote.  The chair directed the staff to incorporate the
amendment into the substitute.  

The bill was reported favorably as substituted, with the
recommendation that it do pass and be printed and be sent to the
Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, by a record vote of 7
ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, 2 absent.