By Berlanga H.B. No. 3271
Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to student center complex fees for educational
1-3 institutions within The Texas A & M University System.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 54.521, Education Code is amended as
1-6 follows: Section 54.521. Student Center Complex Fees; Texas A&M
1-7 University System.
1-8 (a) The board of regents of The Texas A&M University System
1-9 may levy a regular, fixed student fee on each student enrolled in
1-10 an educational institution within The Texas A&M University System
1-11 for the purpose of producing revenue for operating, maintaining,
1-12 improving, and equipping the institution's student center complex
1-13 and acquiring or constructing additions to the complex. The board
1-14 may set fees in amounts it considers just and necessary but not to
1-15 exceed $40 [$30] per student for each semester for the long session
1-16 and not to exceed $20 [$15] per student for each term of the summer
1-17 session, or any fractional part of a session. The activities of
1-18 the student center complex that may be financed in whole or in part
1-19 by the student center complex fee are limited to those activities
1-20 in which the entire student body is eligible to participate. The
1-21 financed activities may not be held outside the territorial limits
1-22 of any educational institution within The Texas A & M University
2-1 System.
2-2 (b) The comptroller of each institution shall collect the
2-3 fees levied under Subsection (a) of this section and shall credit
2-4 the money received from the fees to an account known as the student
2-5 center complex fee account.
2-6 (c) The money collected and placed in the student center
2-7 complex fee account may be used only for the purposes provided by
2-8 Subsection (a) of this section. A complete and itemized budget
2-9 shall be submitted to the board annually and must be accompanied by
2-10 a full and complete report of all activities conducted during the
2-11 past year and all expenditures made incident to the activities.
2-12 The board shall make changes in the budget it considers necessary
2-13 before approving the budget, and shall then levy the fees in
2-14 amounts sufficient to meet the budgetary needs of the center,
2-15 within the limits fixed by this section.
2-16 (d) The decision to levy a student center complex fee, the
2-17 amount of the initial fee, and an increase in the fee must be
2-18 approved by a majority vote of those students participating in a
2-19 general election called for that purpose.
2-20 SECTION 2. Section 54.523, Education Code, as amended by
2-21 this act, applies only to student center complex fees at
2-22 institutions within The Texas A & M University System beginning
2-23 with the fall semester of 1997. Student center complex fees that
2-24 became due before that semester are governed by the law in effect
2-25 at the time those fees became due, and that law is continued in
2-26 effect for this purpose only.
2-27 SECTION 3. Section 54.516, Education Code is repealed.
3-1 SECTION 4. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation
3-2 and the 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.