By:  Armbrister                                       S.B. No. 1626
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to authorizing an environmental service fee at Southwest
 1-3     Texas State University.
 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 54.5111 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 54.5111.  ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE FEE; SOUTHWEST TEXAS
 1-8     STATE UNIVERSITY.  (a)  The board of regents of the Texas State
 1-9     University System may charge each student enrolled at Southwest
1-10     Texas State University an environmental service fee in an initial
1-11     amount not to exceed $1 per semester of the regular term or term of
1-12     the summer session.  The fee may not be imposed unless approved by
1-13     a majority vote of the students at the university voting in an
1-14     election held for that purpose at the same time and using the same
1-15     ballot as a student government election.
1-16           (b)  Not more than once in an academic year, the board of
1-17     regents may increase the amount of the fee authorized by this
1-18     section to cover increased operating costs of environmental
1-19     services funded from revenue from the fee.  The board may not
1-20     increase the amount of the fee unless the increase is approved by a
1-21     majority vote of the students, where a minimum of 1000 student
1-22     voters participate, at the university voting in an election held
1-23     for that purpose at the same time and using the same ballot as a
1-24     student government election.  The total amount of the increased fee
1-25     may not exceed:
 2-1                 (1)  $6 per student for each regular semester or for
 2-2     each term of the summer session not covered by Subdivision (2); or
 2-3                 (2)  $3 per student for each six-week or shorter term
 2-4     of the summer session.
 2-5           (c)  A fee imposed under this section may be used only to
 2-6     provide environmental improvements at the university through
 2-7     services such as recycling, transportation, employment, product
 2-8     purchasing, matching funds for grants, planning and maintenance,
 2-9     and irrigation.
2-10           (d)  The university may not use revenue from the fee imposed
2-11     under this section to reduce or replace other money allocated by
2-12     the university for environmental projects.
2-13           (e)  The university shall retain any fee revenue that exceeds
2-14     the amount necessary to cover current operating expenses for
2-15     environmental services and any interest generated from that
2-16     revenue.  The university may use the excess revenue and interest
2-17     generated from that revenue only for the purposes provided by
2-18     Subsection (c).
2-19           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2001 fall
2-20     semester.
2-21           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-22     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-23     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-24     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-25     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.