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 * * * * *