1-1     By:  Staples                                           S.B. No. 627
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 9, 2001; February 12, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
 1-4     March 8, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 8, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to imposing an intercollegiate athletics fee at The
 1-9     University of Texas at Tyler.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
1-12     amended by adding Section 54.5342 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 54.5342.  INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEE; THE UNIVERSITY
1-14     OF TEXAS AT TYLER.  (a)  The board of regents of The University of
1-15     Texas System may impose an intercollegiate athletics fee on each
1-16     student enrolled at The University of Texas at Tyler.  The fee may
1-17     not be imposed unless approved by a majority vote of the students
1-18     participating in a general student election held at the university
1-19     for that purpose.
1-20           (b)  The amount of the fee may not exceed $7 per semester
1-21     credit hour for each semester or summer session unless a greater
1-22     amount is approved by a majority vote of those students
1-23     participating in a general student election held at the university
1-24     for that purpose.  In that event, the amount of the fee may not
1-25     exceed the amount approved at the election.
1-26           (c)  A student enrolled in more than 15 semester credit hours
1-27     shall pay the fee in an amount equal to the amount imposed on a
1-28     student enrolled in 15 semester credit hours during that semester
1-29     or session.  Notwithstanding the limitation on the amount of the
1-30     fee per semester credit hour under Subsection (b), a student
1-31     enrolled in less than six semester credit hours shall pay the fee
1-32     in an amount equal to the amount imposed on a student enrolled in
1-33     six semester credit hours during that semester or session.
1-34           (d)  A fee imposed under this section may be used to develop
1-35     and maintain an intercollegiate athletics program at the
1-36     university.
1-37           (e)  A fee imposed under this section is in addition to any
1-38     other fee authorized by law and may not be considered in
1-39     determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be
1-40     imposed under Section 54.503(b).
1-41           (f)  If the imposition of a mandatory intercollegiate
1-42     athletics fee as described by this section was approved by a
1-43     majority vote of the students of the university participating in a
1-44     general student election held on or after January 1, 2000, the
1-45     board of regents may impose the fee as prescribed by the results of
1-46     the election without calling an additional election.  This
1-47     subsection expires January 1, 2003.
1-48           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2001 fall
1-49     semester.
1-50           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-51     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-52     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-53     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-54     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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