1-1     By:  Ellis                                            S.B. No. 1467

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 19, 1997, read

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

 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11, 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 student center fees at Texas Southern University.

 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-10           SECTION 1.  Section 54.522, Education Code, is amended to

1-11     read as follows:

1-12           Sec. 54.522.  STUDENT CENTER FEES; TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.

1-13     (a)  The board of regents of Texas Southern University may levy and

1-14     collect a student fee not to exceed $35 [$15] per student for each

1-15     semester of the long session and not to exceed $17.50 [$7.50] per

1-16     student for each term of the summer session, from each student

1-17     enrolled in Texas Southern University, as may in its discretion be

1-18     just and necessary for the purpose of operating, maintaining,

1-19     improving, and equipping the student center and acquiring or

1-20     constructing additions to the student center.  A fee collected

1-21     under this section is in addition to any other use or service fee

1-22     authorized to be levied.

1-23           (b)  The fees collected under this section shall be deposited

1-24     to the credit of an account known as the Texas Southern University

1-25     student center fee account and shall be under the control of the

1-26     student fee advisory committee established under Section 54.5031

1-27     [If approved by student vote as required by this subsection, the

1-28     board of regents of Texas Southern University may impose on each

1-29     student enrolled in Texas Southern University an additional $5 fee

1-30     per student for each semester of the long session and an additional

1-31     $2.50 fee for each student for each term of the summer session. The

1-32     fee may not be imposed unless the fee has been approved by a

1-33     majority of those students voting on the issue in a general student

1-34     election in which the issue is presented.  The board shall deposit

1-35     the fees collected under this subsection in a special fund outside

1-36     the state treasury.  The money in the special fund shall be used

1-37     for the sole purpose of the renovation and improvement of the

1-38     student center at Texas Southern University.  Money from the fund

1-39     may not be spent or a reimbursement made from the fund unless the

1-40     expenditure has the prior approval of the board and a voucher is

1-41     used for the expenditure.  The board shall develop a plan for the

1-42     renovation and improvements of the student center.  The renovations

1-43     and improvements shall be completed before the beginning of the

1-44     fall semester 1995.  The board may not impose the fee authorized by

1-45     this subsection for or after the fall semester 1995].

1-46           (c)  The student fee advisory committee annually shall submit

1-47     to the board of regents a complete and itemized budget for the

1-48     student center with a complete report of all student center

1-49     activities conducted during the past year and all expenditures made

1-50     in connection with those activities.  The board of regents may make

1-51     changes in the budget that the board determines are necessary.

1-52     After approving the budget, the board of regents, in accordance

1-53     with this section, may levy the student center fees for that year

1-54     in amounts sufficient to meet the budgetary needs of the student

1-55     center.

1-56           (d)  The board of regents may not increase the amount of the

1-57     student center fee by more than 10 percent in any academic year

1-58     unless the amount of the increase is approved by a majority of the

1-59     students voting in an election held for that purpose or by a

1-60     majority of the student government of the institution.

1-61           (e)  A fee levied under this section may not be considered in

1-62     determining the maximum student services fee that may be charged

1-63     under Section 54.503(b).

1-64           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only

 2-1     to a fee imposed for a semester or summer session that begins on or

 2-2     after the effective date of this Act.  A fee imposed for a semester

 2-3     or summer session that begins before the effective date of this Act

 2-4     is governed by the law in effect before the effective date, and the

 2-5     former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 2-6           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-11     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-12     passage, and it is so enacted.

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