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                                  * * * * *