By Ogden                                              S.B. No. 1336
         77R3415 QS-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to student center complex fees charged at institutions in
 1-3     The Texas A&M University System.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 54.521, Education Code, is amended by
 1-6     amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding Subsections (e) and (f)
 1-7     to read as follows:
 1-8           (a)  The board of regents of The Texas A&M University System
 1-9     may levy a regular, fixed student fee on each student enrolled in
1-10     an educational institution within The Texas A&M University System
1-11     for the purpose of producing revenue for operating, maintaining,
1-12     improving, and equipping the institution's student center complex
1-13     and acquiring or constructing additions to the complex.  The board
1-14     may set fees in amounts it considers just and necessary but not to
1-15     exceed $100 [$40] per student for each semester for the long
1-16     session and not to exceed $50 [$20] per student for each term of
1-17     the summer session, or any fractional part of a session.  The
1-18     activities of the student center complex that may be financed in
1-19     whole or in part by the student center complex fee are limited to
1-20     those activities in which the entire student body is eligible to
1-21     participate.  The financed activities may not be held outside the
1-22     territorial limits of any educational institution within The Texas
1-23     A&M University System.
1-24           (d)  The decision to levy a student center complex fee and
 2-1     [,] the amount of the initial fee[, and an increase in the fee]
 2-2     must be approved by a majority vote of those students participating
 2-3     in a general election called for that purpose.
 2-4           (e)  The fee authorized by this section may not be increased
 2-5     by more than 10 percent from one academic year to the next unless
 2-6     the increase has been approved by a majority vote of the students
 2-7     at the affected institution participating in a general election
 2-8     called for that purpose.  The fee may not exceed the maximum
 2-9     amounts provided by Subsection (a).
2-10           (f)  The president of each institution in the system shall
2-11     establish a formal system for soliciting and receiving student
2-12     comment with respect to matters of construction and operation of a
2-13     facility or program financed by a fee charged under this section.
2-14           SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to
2-15     fees imposed for a  semester or term that begins on or after the
2-16     effective date of this Act.
2-17           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-18     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-19     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-20     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-21     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.