By: Harris S.B. No. 1498 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to authorizing a recreational facility fee at The 1-3 University of Texas at Arlington. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 54.5122 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 54.5122. RECREATIONAL FACILITY FEE; THE UNIVERSITY OF 1-8 TEXAS AT ARLINGTON. (a) The board of regents of The University of 1-9 Texas System may charge each student enrolled at The University of 1-10 Texas at Arlington a recreational facility fee to finance, 1-11 construct, renovate, improve, equip, or maintain recreational 1-12 facilities or to operate recreational programs at the university. 1-13 (b) The fee may not be imposed unless the fee is approved by 1-14 a majority vote of the students participating in a general student 1-15 election called for that purpose. 1-16 (c) The initial amount of a fee imposed under this section 1-17 may not exceed: 1-18 (1) $9 per student for a regular semester; 1-19 (2) $6 per student for a summer session of 10 weeks or 1-20 more; 1-21 (3) $4 per student for a summer session of eight weeks 1-22 or more but less than 10 weeks; and 1-23 (4) $3 per student for a summer session of less than 1-24 eight weeks. 1-25 (d) Subject to Subsection (e), the board of regents may 2-1 increase the amount of a fee imposed under this section from one 2-2 academic year to the next with the approval of the legislative body 2-3 of the student government of The University of Texas at Arlington, 2-4 except that an increase in the amount of a fee from one academic 2-5 year to the next of more than 10 percent must be approved by a 2-6 majority vote of the students voting in a general student election 2-7 called for that purpose. 2-8 (e) The amount of a fee imposed under this section may not 2-9 exceed: 2-10 (1) $75 per student for a regular semester; 2-11 (2) $50 per student for a summer session of 10 weeks 2-12 or more; 2-13 (3) $35 per student for a summer session of eight 2-14 weeks or more but less than 10 weeks; 2-15 (4) $25 per student for a summer session of less than 2-16 eight weeks; and 2-17 (5) $10 per student for a summer session of less than 2-18 three weeks for a student who was not enrolled at the university 2-19 for the preceding regular semester. 2-20 (f) After approval of the imposition of a fee under this 2-21 section at a student election under Subsection (b), the president 2-22 of The University of Texas at Arlington shall appoint a 2-23 recreational facility student advisory committee. The committee 2-24 shall advise the president regarding the administration and 2-25 allocation of the revenue from the fee to support recreational 2-26 facilities on the university campus. 3-1 (g) The board of regents shall deposit the revenue from a 3-2 fee imposed under this section in an account known as the 3-3 recreational facility fee account. 3-4 (h) The board of regents may pledge revenue from a fee 3-5 imposed under this section to pay an obligation issued under the 3-6 revenue financing system of The University of Texas System. 3-7 (i) A fee imposed under this section is not considered in 3-8 determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be 3-9 charged at The University of Texas at Arlington under Section 3-10 54.503. 3-11 (j) The board of regents may permit a person who is not 3-12 enrolled at The University of Texas at Arlington to use a facility 3-13 financed with revenue from a fee imposed under this section if: 3-14 (1) the person's use of the facility will not 3-15 materially interfere with the use of the facility by students of 3-16 the university; 3-17 (2) the person is charged a fee for using the facility 3-18 that is not less than the student fee and that is not less than the 3-19 direct and indirect cost to the university of providing for the 3-20 person's use; and 3-21 (3) the person's use will not materially increase the 3-22 potential liability of the university. 3-23 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 3-24 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 3-25 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 3-26 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 4-1 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.