By Coleman                                      H.B. No. 2923

      75R8283 CAG-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the establishment of a medical services fee at Texas

 1-3     Southern University.

 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 54.5222 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 54.5222.  MEDICAL SERVICES FEE; TEXAS SOUTHERN

 1-8     UNIVERSITY.  (a)  The board of regents of Texas Southern University

 1-9     may levy and collect a medical services fee not to exceed $35 per

1-10     student for each semester of the regular term or $17.50 for each

1-11     term of the summer session from each student enrolled in Texas

1-12     Southern University for the sole purpose of operating, maintaining,

1-13     improving, and equipping a medical service facility at the

1-14     university, acquiring and constructing additions to the medical

1-15     service facility, and providing medical services to students

1-16     registered at the university.  A fee collected under this section

1-17     is in addition to any other use or service fee authorized to be

1-18     levied.

1-19           (b)  The fees collected under this section shall be deposited

1-20     to the credit of an account known as the "Texas Southern University

1-21     Medical Services Fee Account" and shall be under the control of the

1-22     student fee advisory committee established under Section 54.5031.

1-23           (c)  The student fee advisory committee annually shall submit

1-24     to the board of regents a complete and itemized budget for the

 2-1     medical service facility with a complete report of all medical

 2-2     service activities conducted during the past year and all

 2-3     expenditures made in connection with those activities.  The board

 2-4     of regents may make changes in the budget that the board determines

 2-5     are necessary.  After approving the budget, the board of regents,

 2-6     in accordance with this section, may levy a medical services  fee

 2-7     for that year in amounts sufficient to meet the budgetary needs of

 2-8     the medical service facility.  If the budget approved by the board

 2-9     contains an expenditure for the construction of a facility, the

2-10     board may contract for the construction of the facility.

2-11           (d)  The board may not increase the amount of the medical

2-12     services fee by more than 10 percent in any academic year unless

2-13     the amount of the increase is approved by a majority of the

2-14     students voting in an election held for that purpose or by a

2-15     majority of the student government of the institution.

2-16           (e)  A fee levied under this section may not be considered in

2-17     determining the maximum student services fee that may be charged

2-18     under Section 54.503(b).

2-19           (f)  Before a fee is initially charged under this section and

2-20     at other times as determined by the board of regents, the board

2-21     shall provide students at the institution and employees of the

2-22     institution an opportunity to make recommendations to the board

2-23     about the type of or scope of services the medical facility should

2-24     offer.

2-25           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only

2-26     to a fee imposed for a semester or summer session that begins on or

2-27     after the effective date of this Act.

 3-1           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-6     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-7     passage, and it is so enacted.