By Goolsby, et al. H.B. No. 815
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to certain fees charged by certain public institutions of
1-3 higher education.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 54.544 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 54.544. RECREATIONAL FACILITY FEE; THE UNIVERSITY OF
1-8 TEXAS AT DALLAS. (a) The board of regents of The University of
1-9 Texas System may charge each student enrolled at The University of
1-10 Texas at Dallas a recreational facility fee to finance, construct,
1-11 equip, operate, maintain, or improve student recreational
1-12 facilities or programs at the university.
1-13 (b) A recreational facility fee may not exceed:
1-14 (1) $40 for each student for a semester of the regular
1-15 term or a 12-week summer session; and
1-16 (2) $26.67 for each student for an eight-week summer
1-17 session.
1-18 (b-1) Before the fall semester of 1998, a recreational
1-19 facility fee may not exceed:
1-20 (1) $25 for each student for a semester of the regular
1-21 term or a 12-week summer session; and
1-22 (2) $16.67 for each student for an eight-week summer
1-23 session.
1-24 (b-2) Subsection (b-1) and this subsection expire January 1,
2-1 1999.
2-2 (c) A recreational facility fee may not be charged or
2-3 increased unless charging or increasing the fee is approved by a
2-4 majority vote of the students participating in a general student
2-5 election called for that purpose.
2-6 (d) The board of regents shall collect a fee charged under
2-7 this section and deposit the fee in an account known as the
2-8 recreational facility account.
2-9 (e) The board of regents may pledge a fee charged under this
2-10 section to pay an obligation issued under the revenue financing
2-11 system of The University of Texas System.
2-12 (f) A fee charged under this section may not be counted in
2-13 determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be
2-14 charged under Section 54.503(b).
2-15 (g) A recreational facility fee may not be collected after
2-16 the 20th anniversary of the date it is first collected or after all
2-17 bonded indebtedness for the recreational facility for which the fee
2-18 receipts are pledged is paid, whichever is later.
2-19 SECTION 2. Sections 54.538(a), (b), and (c), Education Code,
2-20 are amended to read as follows:
2-21 (a) If approved by student vote at a system institution, the
2-22 Board of Regents, Texas State University System, may charge each
2-23 student enrolled at such institution a recreational sports fee not
2-24 to exceed $50 <$35> per semester or 10-week summer session or $25
2-25 <$17.50> per five-week summer session. The fee may be used to
2-26 purchase equipment for and to construct, operate, and maintain
2-27 recreational sports facilities and programs at the designated
3-1 institution <university>.
3-2 (b) The recreation fee authorized by this section may not be
3-3 <levied or> increased more than 10 percent from one academic year
3-4 to the next unless the <levy of the fee or the> increase has been
3-5 approved by a majority vote of those students at the affected
3-6 institution participating in a general student election called for
3-7 that purpose. The fee may not exceed the amounts provided by
3-8 Subsection (a).
3-9 (c) Each system institution <university> shall collect any
3-10 student recreational sports fee imposed under this section and
3-11 shall deposit the money collected in an account to be known as the
3-12 student recreational sports account.
3-13 SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the fall semester
3-14 of 1995.
3-15 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-16 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-17 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-18 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-19 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-20 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-21 passage, and it is so enacted.