1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the student union building fee at The University of 1-3 Texas at Brownsville and to student union fees at public junior 1-4 colleges. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is 1-7 amended by adding Section 54.546 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 54.546. STUDENT UNION FEES; THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT 1-9 BROWNSVILLE. (a) The board of regents of The University of Texas 1-10 System may impose on each student enrolled at The University of 1-11 Texas at Brownsville a student union fee of not less than $34.35 1-12 or more than $70 for each semester or long summer session for the 1-13 sole purpose of financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, 1-14 renovating, and improving a student union building owned by Texas 1-15 Southmost College and used by the partnership of The University of 1-16 Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College under Section 1-17 78.02. The fee may be imposed in addition to any other fee. 1-18 (b) Revenue from the fee imposed under this section shall 1-19 be deposited to an account known as The University of Texas at 1-20 Brownsville student union account. Money in the account shall be 1-21 used in accordance with the terms of the partnership agreements 1-22 entered into between The University of Texas at Brownsville and 1-23 Texas Southmost College under Section 78.02. 1-24 (c) The board of trustees of the Southmost Union Junior 2-1 College District may pledge revenue from a fee imposed under this 2-2 section, whether received directly from a student or from The 2-3 University of Texas at Brownsville, under the terms of the 2-4 partnership agreement between The University of Texas at 2-5 Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, for the payment of 2-6 obligations issued by the Southmost Union Junior College District 2-7 to finance the construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, 2-8 and improvement of a student union building to be owned by Texas 2-9 Southmost College and used by the two institutions under the 2-10 partnership. If the fee imposed under this section is pledged to 2-11 the payment of obligations issued by Southmost Union Junior College 2-12 District, the board of regents of The University of Texas System 2-13 may not pledge revenue from the fee for the payment of obligations 2-14 issued for an authorized purpose under the revenue financing system 2-15 of The University of Texas System. 2-16 (d) The board may not increase the amount of the fee by more 2-17 than 10 percent in any academic year unless the amount of the 2-18 increase is approved by a majority of the students voting in an 2-19 election held for that purpose and by a majority of the members of 2-20 the legislative body of the student government of the institution. 2-21 (e) Subject to the limitations of this section on the amount 2-22 of the fee and any increase in the amount of the fee, the fee 2-23 imposed under this section must be in the same amount as the 2-24 student union fee charged a student at Texas Southmost College by 2-25 the board of trustees of Southmost Union Junior College District. 2-26 A student attending either or both institutions may be charged a 2-27 student union fee by only one of the institutions. 3-1 SECTION 2. Section 130.123(c), Education Code, is amended to 3-2 read as follows: 3-3 (c) Each board shall be authorized to fix and collect 3-4 rentals, rates, charges, and/or fees, including student union fees, 3-5 from students and others for the occupancy, use and/or availability 3-6 of all or any of its property, buildings, structures, activities, 3-7 operations, or facilities, of any nature, in such amounts and in 3-8 such manner as may be determined by such board. 3-9 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 3-10 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-11 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-12 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-13 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-14 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-15 passage, and it is so enacted. _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1488 was passed by the House on March 25, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, 2 present, not voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 1488 on May 5, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 0, 1 present, not voting. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1488 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 3, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________ Date _____________________ Governor