78(R) SB 1367 - Senate Committee Report version


                                                                                


By:  Duncan                                                       S.B. No. 1367
	(In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2003; March 19, 2003, read 
first time and referred to Committee on Education; May 14, 2003, 
reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the 
following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 14, 2003, sent to printer.)


COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1367                                   By:  Janek


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to student union fees at component institutions of the 
Texas Tech University System.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is 
amended by adding Section 54.5241 to read as follows:
	Sec. 54.5241.  STUDENT UNION FEES; TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY 
SYSTEM.  (a)  The board of regents of the Texas Tech University 
System may impose a fee in a fixed amount on each student enrolled 
in a component institution of the Texas Tech University System for 
the purpose of providing revenue for financing, operating, 
maintaining, improving, and equipping student union facilities or 
for acquiring or constructing additions to those facilities.
	(b)  The board of regents may change the amount of the fee 
imposed at an institution as necessary to provide sufficient funds 
for the student union but may not increase the amount of the fee by 
more than 10 percent unless the amount of the increase is approved 
by:
		(1)  a majority of the students of the institution 
voting in a general student election held for that purpose; or
		(2)  a majority vote of the legislative body of the 
student government of the institution.
	(c)  The board of regents may prorate the amount of the fee 
imposed at an institution based on the length of the semester or 
term for which a student enrolls.
	(d)  The fiscal officer of each institution shall collect the 
fees imposed under this section at the institution and shall credit 
the money received from the fees to an account known as the student 
union account.  The money in the account may be used only for the 
purposes provided by Subsection (a) and shall be placed under the 
control of and subject to the order of the advisory board of the 
institution's student union.  The advisory board shall annually 
submit a complete and itemized budget accompanied by a full and 
complete report of all activities conducted during the year and all 
expenditures made in connection with those activities.  The board 
of regents shall make the changes in the budget as the board of 
regents considers necessary before approving the budget and shall 
impose the fees in an amount sufficient to meet the budgetary needs 
of the student union, subject to Subsection (b).
	(e)  The board of regents may pledge the fees imposed under 
this section to pay obligations issued for authorized purposes 
pursuant to the revenue financing system of the Texas Tech 
University System.
	(f)  Student union fees imposed under this section are in 
addition to any other fee the board of regents is authorized by law 
to impose and may not be considered in determining the maximum 
student services fee that may be imposed under Section 54.503(b).
	SECTION 2.  Section 54.524, Education Code, is repealed 
effective September 1, 2004.
	SECTION 3.  (a)  Section 54.5241, Education Code, as added by 
this Act, takes effect beginning with the 2004 fall semester.
	(b)  Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, 
student fees imposed under Section 54.524, Education Code, before 
the 2004 fall semester are governed by the law in effect when the 
fees were imposed, and the former law is continued in effect for 
that purpose.  Revenue in the University Center account at a 
component institution of the Texas Tech University System at the 
beginning of the 2004 fall semester shall be transferred to the 
credit of the student union account established at the institution 
under Section 54.5241, Education Code, as added by this Act.
	(c)  For purposes of determining the amount of a fee that may 
be imposed at Texas Tech University under Section 54.5241, 
Education Code, as added by this Act, in the 2004-2005 academic 
year, the amount of the fee imposed in the 2003-2004 academic year 
under Section 54.524, Education Code, at the university is treated 
as if that fee were imposed under Section 54.5241, Education Code.
	(d)  For purposes of determining the amount of a fee that may 
be imposed at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center under 
Section 54.5241, Education Code, as added by this Act, in the 
2004-2005 academic year, the amount of the fee imposed in the 2004 
summer semester under Section 54.515, Education Code, at the health 
sciences center is treated as if that fee were imposed under Section 
54.5241, Education Code.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                           



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