By Green H.B. No. 683 77R247 KSD-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the use of student fees at institutions of higher 1-3 education to support student organizations that engage in political 1-4 or ideological advocacy. 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 54.5145 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 54.5145. PRIOR STUDENT APPROVAL OF CERTAIN FEES 1-9 REQUIRED. (a) The governing board of an institution of higher 1-10 education may not charge a student enrolled in the institution a 1-11 fee or any portion of a fee that is used to support an organization 1-12 that engages in political or ideological advocacy unless the 1-13 student affirmatively approves the use of the fee for that purpose. 1-14 (b) Each institution of higher education shall establish a 1-15 procedure under which a student may affirmatively approve the use 1-16 of a fee or portion of a fee described by Subsection (a). The 1-17 procedure must provide fair notice to all students of the purpose 1-18 for which the fee or portion of the fee will be used. If only a 1-19 portion of a fee is to be used to support an organization described 1-20 by Subsection (a), the institution must reduce the amount of the 1-21 fee charged to a student who does not affirmatively approve the use 1-22 of the fee for that purpose by an amount equal to the portion of 1-23 the fee used for that purpose for a student who affirmatively 1-24 approves that use. 2-1 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect January 1, 2002. 2-2 (b) The change in law made by this Act applies only to the 2-3 imposition of fees by an institution of higher education for a term 2-4 or semester that begins on or after the effective date of this Act. 2-5 The imposition of fees by an institution of higher education for a 2-6 term or semester that begins before the effective date of this Act 2-7 is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the 2-8 effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for 2-9 that purpose.