1-1 By: Armbrister S.B. No. 1626 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2001; March 14, 2001, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 23, 2001, 1-4 reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 23, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1626 By: Cain 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to authorizing an environmental service fee at Southwest 1-10 Texas State University. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is 1-13 amended by adding Section 54.5111 to read as follows: 1-14 Sec. 54.5111. ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE FEE; SOUTHWEST TEXAS 1-15 STATE UNIVERSITY. (a) The board of regents of the Texas State 1-16 University System may charge each student enrolled at Southwest 1-17 Texas State University an environmental service fee in an initial 1-18 amount not to exceed $1 per semester of the regular term or term of 1-19 the summer session. The fee may not be imposed unless approved by 1-20 a majority vote of the students at the university voting in an 1-21 election held for that purpose at the same time and using the same 1-22 ballot as a student government election. 1-23 (b) Not more than once in an academic year, the board of 1-24 regents may increase the amount of the fee authorized by this 1-25 section to cover increased operating costs of environmental 1-26 services funded from revenue from the fee. The board may not 1-27 increase the amount of the fee unless the increase is approved by a 1-28 majority vote of the students, where a minimum of 1000 student 1-29 voters participate, at the university voting in an election held 1-30 for that purpose at the same time and using the same ballot as a 1-31 student government election. The total amount of the increased fee 1-32 may not exceed: 1-33 (1) $6 per student for each regular semester or for 1-34 each term of the summer session not covered by Subdivision (2); or 1-35 (2) $3 per student for each six-week or shorter term 1-36 of the summer session. 1-37 (c) A fee imposed under this section may be used only to 1-38 provide environmental improvements at the university through 1-39 services such as recycling, transportation, employment, product 1-40 purchasing, matching funds for grants, planning and maintenance, 1-41 and irrigation. 1-42 (d) The university may not use revenue from the fee imposed 1-43 under this section to reduce or replace other money allocated by 1-44 the university for environmental projects. 1-45 (e) The university shall retain any fee revenue that exceeds 1-46 the amount necessary to cover current operating expenses for 1-47 environmental services and any interest generated from that 1-48 revenue. The university may use the excess revenue and interest 1-49 generated from that revenue only for the purposes provided by 1-50 Subsection (c). 1-51 SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2001 fall 1-52 semester. 1-53 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 1-54 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 1-55 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 1-56 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 1-57 Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-58 * * * * *