1-1     By:  Harris                                           S.B. No. 1498
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2001; March 13, 2001, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Education; March 29, 2001,
 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0;
 1-5     March 29, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to authorizing a recreational facility fee at The
 1-9     University of Texas at Arlington.
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 54.5122 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 54.5122.  RECREATIONAL FACILITY FEE; THE UNIVERSITY OF
1-14     TEXAS AT ARLINGTON.  (a)  The board of regents of The University of
1-15     Texas System may charge each student enrolled at The University of
1-16     Texas at Arlington a recreational facility fee to finance,
1-17     construct, renovate, improve, equip, or maintain recreational
1-18     facilities or to operate recreational programs at the university.
1-19           (b)  The fee may not be imposed unless the fee is approved by
1-20     a majority vote of the students participating in a general student
1-21     election called for that purpose.
1-22           (c)  The initial amount of a fee imposed under this section
1-23     may not exceed:
1-24                 (1)  $9 per student for a regular semester;
1-25                 (2)  $6 per student for a summer session of 10 weeks or
1-26     more;
1-27                 (3)  $4 per student for a summer session of eight weeks
1-28     or more but less than 10 weeks; and
1-29                 (4)  $3 per student for a summer session of less than
1-30     eight weeks.
1-31           (d)  Subject to Subsection (e), the board of regents may
1-32     increase the amount of a fee imposed under this section from one
1-33     academic year to the next with the approval of the legislative body
1-34     of the student government of The University of Texas at Arlington,
1-35     except that an increase in the amount of a fee from one academic
1-36     year to the next of more than 10 percent must be approved by a
1-37     majority vote of the students voting in a general student election
1-38     called for that purpose.
1-39           (e)  The amount of a fee imposed under this section may not
1-40     exceed:
1-41                 (1)  $75 per student for a regular semester;
1-42                 (2)  $50 per student for a summer session of 10 weeks
1-43     or more;
1-44                 (3)  $35 per student for a summer session of eight
1-45     weeks or more but less than 10 weeks;
1-46                 (4)  $25 per student for a summer session of less than
1-47     eight weeks; and
1-48                 (5)  $10 per student for a summer session of less than
1-49     three weeks for a student who was not enrolled at the university
1-50     for the preceding regular semester.
1-51           (f)  After approval of the imposition of a fee under this
1-52     section at a student election under Subsection (b), the president
1-53     of The University of Texas at Arlington shall appoint a
1-54     recreational facility student advisory committee.  The committee
1-55     shall advise the president regarding the administration and
1-56     allocation of the revenue from the fee to support recreational
1-57     facilities on the university campus.
1-58           (g)  The board of regents shall deposit the revenue from a
1-59     fee imposed under this section in an account known as the
1-60     recreational facility fee account.
1-61           (h)  The board of regents may pledge revenue from a fee
1-62     imposed under this section to pay an obligation issued under the
1-63     revenue financing system of The University of Texas System.
1-64           (i)  A fee imposed under this section is not considered in
 2-1     determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be
 2-2     charged at The University of Texas at Arlington under Section
 2-3     54.503.
 2-4           (j)  The board of regents may permit a person who is not
 2-5     enrolled at The University of Texas at Arlington to use a facility
 2-6     financed with revenue from a fee imposed under this section if:
 2-7                 (1)  the person's use of the facility will not
 2-8     materially interfere with the use of the facility by students of
 2-9     the university;
2-10                 (2)  the person is charged a fee for using the facility
2-11     that is not less than the student fee and that is not less than the
2-12     direct and indirect cost to the university of providing for the
2-13     person's use; and
2-14                 (3)  the person's use will not materially increase the
2-15     potential liability of the university.
2-16           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-17     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-18     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-19     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-20     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
2-21                                  * * * * *