By:  Janek                                                        S.B. No. 1546
	(In the Senate - Filed March 14, 2003; March 20, 2003, read 
first time and referred to Subcommittee on Higher Education; 
May 13, 2003, reported 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. 1546                                   By:  Janek

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to laboratory and certain other related fees for public junior colleges. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 54.501, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: (a) An institution of higher education shall set and collect a laboratory fee [charge] in an amount sufficient to cover [in general] the general cost of laboratory materials and supplies used by a student. An [For an] institution other than a public junior college may[, the laboratory] charge a laboratory fee in an amount that is [shall be] not less than $2 nor more than $30 for any one semester or summer term for a [any] student in any one laboratory course, except that the amount of the laboratory fee may [but shall] not exceed the cost of actual materials and supplies used by the student. A [For a] public junior college may[, the laboratory] charge a laboratory fee in an amount that does not exceed the lesser of [shall be not more than] $24 per semester credit hour of laboratory course credit for which the [any one semester or summer term for any] student is enrolled or [in any one laboratory course, but shall not exceed] the cost of actual materials and supplies used by the student. (c) The governing board of a public junior college may set and collect a fee per contact hour, not to exceed $4, for each person registered in an aerospace mechanics certification course where the fee is required to offset that portion of the cost of the course, including the cost of equipment and of professional instruction or tutoring, that is not covered by state funding or by the fee in Subsection (a). SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to fees imposed for a semester or term that begins on or after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2003.
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