1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the total amount of student services fees that may be
1-3 charged at certain institutions of higher education.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 54.503(b) and (f), Education Code, are
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 (b) The governing board of an institution of higher
1-8 education may charge and collect from students registered at the
1-9 institution fees to cover the cost of student services. The fee or
1-10 fees may be either voluntary or compulsory as determined by the
1-11 governing board. The total of all compulsory student services fees
1-12 collected from a student at an institution of higher education
1-13 other than The University of Texas at Austin or a component
1-14 institution of the University of Houston System for any one
1-15 semester or summer session shall not exceed $250 [$150. If
1-16 approved by a majority vote of those students participating in a
1-17 general election called for that purpose, the total of all
1-18 compulsory student services fees that may be collected from a
1-19 student at The University of Texas at El Paso may be increased to
1-20 an amount not to exceed $250. Approval at the election of an
1-21 increase in the total fees that may be collected from a student at
1-22 The University of Texas at El Paso does not affect the application
1-23 of Subsection (f) to an increase in the total fees actually charged
1-24 from one year to the next]. All compulsory student services fees
2-1 charged and collected under this section by the governing board of
2-2 an institution of higher education, other than a public junior
2-3 college, shall be assessed in proportion to the number of semester
2-4 credit hours for which a student registers. No portion of the
2-5 compulsory fees collected may be expended for parking facilities or
2-6 services, except as related to providing shuttle bus services.
2-7 (f) If[, in an academic year,] the total compulsory fee
2-8 charged under this section is more than $150 [10 percent higher
2-9 than the compulsory fee charged for the previous academic year],
2-10 the increase does not take effect unless the increase is approved
2-11 by a majority vote of the students voting in an election held for
2-12 that purpose or by a majority vote of the student government at the
2-13 institution. In subsequent years, an election authorizing a fee
2-14 increase must be held before the fee can be increased by more than
2-15 10 percent of the fee approved at the last student election.
2-16 SECTION 2. Sections 54.513(i) and (j), Education Code, are
2-17 amended to read as follows:
2-18 (i) If[, in an academic year,] the total compulsory fee
2-19 [fees] charged under this section is [are] more than $150 [10
2-20 percent higher than the previous year's compulsory fees], the
2-21 increase does [is] not take effect [effective] unless the increase
2-22 is approved by a majority vote of the students voting in an
2-23 election held for that purpose or by a majority vote of the duly
2-24 elected student government. In subsequent years, an election
2-25 authorizing a fee increase must be held before the fee can be
2-26 increased by more than 10 percent of the fee approved at the last
2-27 student election.
3-1 (j) The total of all compulsory fees charged under this
3-2 section to students for any semester or summer session may not
3-3 exceed $250 [$150].
3-4 SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only to
3-5 fees imposed for a semester or term that begins on or after the
3-6 effective date of this Act.
3-7 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a
3-8 vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
3-9 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
3-10 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
3-11 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2575 was passed by the House on April
18, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 3, 1 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 2575 on May 25, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 125, Nays
10, 2 present, not voting; and that the House adopted H.C.R. No.
326 authorizing certain corrections in H.B. No. 2575 on May 28,
2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2575 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 21, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays
0, 1 present, not voting; and that the Senate adopted H.C.R. No.
326 authorizing certain corrections in H.B. No. 2575 on May 28,
2001, by a viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________________
Date
__________________________
Governor