1-1     By:  Berlanga, Seaman, Luna (Senate Sponsor - Truan)  H.B. No. 3271

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1997;

 1-3     May 6, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;

 1-4     May 16, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11,

 1-5     Nays 0; May 16, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to student center complex fees for institutions in The

 1-9     Texas A&M University System.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 54.521(a), Education Code, is amended to

1-12     read as follows:

1-13           (a)  The board of regents of The Texas A & M University

1-14     System may levy a regular, fixed student fee on each student

1-15     enrolled in an educational institution within The Texas A & M

1-16     University System for the purpose of producing revenue for

1-17     operating, maintaining, improving, and equipping the institution's

1-18     student center complex and acquiring or constructing additions to

1-19     the complex.  The board may set fees in amounts it considers just

1-20     and necessary but not to exceed $40 [$30] per student for each

1-21     semester for the long session and not to exceed $20 [$15] per

1-22     student for each term of the summer  session, or any fractional

1-23     part of a session.  The activities of the student center complex

1-24     that may be financed in whole or in part by the student center

1-25     complex fee are limited to those activities in which the entire

1-26     student body is eligible to participate.  The financed activities

1-27     may not be held outside the territorial limits of any educational

1-28     institution within The Texas A & M University System.

1-29           SECTION 2.  Section 54.516, Education Code, is repealed.

1-30           SECTION 3.  The amendment of Section 54.521(a), Education

1-31     Code, made by this Act and the repeal of Section 54.516, Education

1-32     Code, by this Act apply only to fees levied at institutions within

1-33     The Texas A&M University System beginning with the fall semester of

1-34     1997.  Fees that became due before that semester are governed by

1-35     the law in effect at the time those fees became due, and that law

1-36     is continued in effect for that purpose.

1-37           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-38     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-39     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-40     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-41     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

1-42                                  * * * * *