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.