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