LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          March 29, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Bill Ratliff, Chair          IN RE:  House Bill No. 815,
         Committee on Education                               as engrossed
         Senate                                         By: Goolsby
         Austin, Texas







FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
815 (Relating to certain fees charged by certain public
institutions of higher education.) this office has determined the
following:

The bill would authorize 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.  The fee could not be levied
without approval by a majority vote of the students voting in a
general student election called for this purpose.  The fee could
not be more than $40 for each student for a regular semester and
not more than $26.67 for each 8-week summer session.  Prior to
Fall 1998 the fee could not exceed $25 and $16.67 respectively.  

No fee may be levied unless it is approved by the majority of
students participating in an election called for that purpose. 
The fee sunsets after 20 years or when the facility for which it
was authorized has no additional bonded indebtedness associated
with it.

It is estimated that the recreational facility fee would generate
approximately $518,100 in institutional funds beginning in 1996,
and increasing to $906,000 in 1999 when the fee would be
authorized to increase.  Estimated debt service on the
recreational facility would be $710,000 each year beginning in
1997.  It is estimated that the facility would begin operations
in 1999 with operating expenses of approximately $236,000 during     




the first year of operation.  These fees are auxiliary in nature
and do not affect the state supported educational and general
operations of the university.


No fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.




Source:   The University of Texas System, Higher Education
Coordinating Board
          LBB Staff: JK, LS, DF