1-1 By: Goolsby, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Cain) H.B. No. 815
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House March 16, 1995;
1-3 March 20, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Education; April 19, 1995, reported adversely, with favorable
1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0;
1-6 April 19, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 815 By: Armbrister
1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-9 AN ACT
1-10 relating to certain fees charged by certain public institutions of
1-11 higher education.
1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
1-14 amended by adding Section 54.544 to read as follows:
1-15 Sec. 54.544. RECREATIONAL FACILITY FEE; THE UNIVERSITY OF
1-16 TEXAS AT DALLAS. (a) The board of regents of The University of
1-17 Texas System may charge each student enrolled at The University of
1-18 Texas at Dallas a recreational facility fee to finance, construct,
1-19 equip, operate, maintain, or improve student recreational
1-20 facilities or programs at the university.
1-21 (b) A recreational facility fee may not exceed:
1-22 (1) $40 for each student for a semester of the regular
1-23 term or a 12-week summer session; and
1-24 (2) $26.67 for each student for an eight-week summer
1-25 session.
1-26 (b-1) Before the fall semester of 1998, a recreational
1-27 facility fee may not exceed:
1-28 (1) $25 for each student for a semester of the regular
1-29 term or a 12-week summer session; and
1-30 (2) $16.67 for each student for an eight-week summer
1-31 session.
1-32 (b-2) Subsection (b-1) and this subsection expire January 1,
1-33 1999.
1-34 (c) A recreational facility fee may not be charged or
1-35 increased unless charging or increasing the fee is approved by a
1-36 majority vote of the students participating in a general student
1-37 election called for that purpose.
1-38 (d) The board of regents shall collect a fee charged under
1-39 this section and deposit the fee in an account known as the
1-40 recreational facility account.
1-41 (e) The board of regents may pledge a fee charged under this
1-42 section to pay an obligation issued under the revenue financing
1-43 system of The University of Texas System.
1-44 (f) A fee charged under this section may not be counted in
1-45 determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be
1-46 charged under Section 54.503(b).
1-47 SECTION 2. Sections 54.538(a), (b), and (c), Education Code,
1-48 are amended to read as follows:
1-49 (a) If approved by student vote at a system institution, the
1-50 Board of Regents, Texas State University System, may charge each
1-51 student enrolled at such institution a recreational sports fee not
1-52 to exceed $50 <$35> per semester or 10-week summer session or $25
1-53 <$17.50> per five-week summer session. The fee may be used to
1-54 purchase equipment for and to construct, operate, and maintain
1-55 recreational sports facilities and programs at the designated
1-56 institution <university>.
1-57 (b) The recreation fee authorized by this section may not be
1-58 <levied or> increased more than 10 percent from one academic year
1-59 to the next unless the <levy of the fee or the> increase has been
1-60 approved by a majority vote of those students at the affected
1-61 institution participating in a general student election called for
1-62 that purpose. The fee may not exceed the amounts provided by
1-63 Subsection (a).
1-64 (c) Each system institution <university> shall collect any
1-65 student recreational sports fee imposed under this section and
1-66 shall deposit the money collected in an account to be known as the
1-67 student recreational sports account.
1-68 SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the fall semester
2-1 of 1995.
2-2 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-7 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-8 passage, and it is so enacted.
2-9 * * * * *