1-1     By:  Ellis                                            S.B. No. 1367

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 18, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Finance; April 18, 1997,

 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 12, Nays 0;

 1-5     April 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the establishment of a medical services fee at Texas

 1-9     Southern University.

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

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is

1-12     amended by adding Section 54.5222 to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 54.5222.  MEDICAL SERVICES FEE; TEXAS SOUTHERN

1-14     UNIVERSITY.  (a)  The board of regents of Texas Southern University

1-15     may levy and collect a medical services fee not to exceed $35 per

1-16     student for each semester of the regular term or $17.50 for each

1-17     term of the summer session from each student enrolled in Texas

1-18     Southern University for the sole purpose of operating, maintaining,

1-19     improving, and equipping a medical service facility at the

1-20     university, acquiring and constructing additions to the medical

1-21     service facility, and providing medical services to students

1-22     registered at the university.  A fee collected under this section

1-23     is in addition to any other use or service fee authorized to be

1-24     levied.

1-25           (b)  The fees collected under this section shall be deposited

1-26     to the credit of an account known as the "Texas Southern University

1-27     Medical Services Fee Account" and shall be under the control of the

1-28     student fee advisory committee established under Section 54.5031.

1-29           (c)  The student fee advisory committee annually shall submit

1-30     to the board of regents a complete and itemized budget for the

1-31     medical service facility with a complete report of all medical

1-32     service activities conducted during the past year and all

1-33     expenditures made in connection with those activities.  The board

1-34     of regents may make changes in the budget that the board determines

1-35     are necessary.  After approving the budget, the board of regents,

1-36     in accordance with this section, may levy a medical services fee

1-37     for that year in amounts sufficient to meet the budgetary needs of

1-38     the medical service facility.  If the budget approved by the board

1-39     contains an expenditure for the construction of a facility, the

1-40     board may contract for the construction of the facility.

1-41           (d)  The board may not increase the amount of the medical

1-42     services fee by more than 10 percent in any academic year unless

1-43     the amount of the increase is approved by a majority of the

1-44     students voting in an election held for that purpose or by a

1-45     majority of the student government of the institution.

1-46           (e)  A fee levied under this section may not be considered in

1-47     determining the maximum student services fee that may be charged

1-48     under Section 54.503(b).

1-49           (f)  Before a fee is initially charged under this section and

1-50     at other times as determined by the board of regents, the board

1-51     shall provide students at the institution and employees of the

1-52     institution an opportunity to make recommendations to the board

1-53     about the type of or scope of services the medical facility should

1-54     offer.

1-55           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only

1-56     to a fee imposed for a semester or summer session that begins on or

1-57     after the effective date of this Act.

1-58           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-59     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-60     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-61     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-62     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-63     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-64     passage, and it is so enacted.