By:  Harris, West                                      S.B. No. 149
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to student intercollegiate athletic fees at The University
 1-2     of Texas at Arlington.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 54.5121 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 54.5121.  INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC FEE; THE UNIVERSITY
 1-7     OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON.  (a)  The board of regents of The University
 1-8     of Texas System may impose a mandatory intercollegiate athletics
 1-9     fee at The University of Texas at Arlington.  The amount of the fee
1-10     may not exceed $7.75 per semester credit hour for each regular
1-11     semester, unless increased as provided by Subsection (b).  The fee
1-12     may not be imposed unless approved by a majority vote of the
1-13     students participating in a general student election held for that
1-14     purpose.
1-15           (b)  The amount of the fee per semester credit hour may be
1-16     increased from one academic year to the next only if approved by a
1-17     majority vote of the students participating in a general student
1-18     election held for that purpose or, if the amount of the increase
1-19     does not exceed five percent, by the legislative body of the
1-20     student government of the university.
1-21           (c)  The board of regents may prorate the amount of the fee
1-22     for a summer session.
1-23           (d)  The fee imposed under this section may not be considered
1-24     in determining the maximum student services fees that may be
 2-1     imposed under Section 54.503.
 2-2           (e)  If a mandatory intercollegiate athletic fee in an amount
 2-3     within the limit provided by Subsection (a) was approved by a
 2-4     majority vote of the students participating in a general student
 2-5     election at the university not more than two years before the
 2-6     effective date of this section, the board of regents may impose the
 2-7     fee without calling an additional election under Subsection (a).
 2-8     This subsection expires January 1, 2001.
 2-9           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the fall semester
2-10     of 1999.
2-11           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-16     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-17     passage, and it is so enacted.