BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1063
By: Oliveira (Lucio)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current Texas law authorizes The University of Texas at Brownsville to collect student union fees under Section 54.546, Education Code. A proposed campus fitness complex contains several facilities that will make the university more appealing to prospective students and provide fitness opportunities that are lacking for current students. Access to a wellness center leads to improved health of the entire campus community.
H.B. 1063 authorizes the board of regents of The University of Texas System to impose a student-supported fee to fund a wellness, recreational, and fitness complex at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, by adding Section 54.550, as follows:
Sec. 54.550. WELLNESS, RECREATIONAL, AND FITNESS COMPLEX FEE; THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE. (a) Authorizes the board of regents of The University of Texas System (board) to charge each student enrolled at The University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) a wellness, recreational, and fitness complex fee. Prohibits the amount of the fee from exceeding $79 per student for each regular semester and $39.50 per student for each term of the summer session.
(b) Sets forth authorizations for the board regarding use of the fee revenue.
(c) Requires the board to deposit revenue from the fee to the credit of an account known as the UTB wellness, recreational, and fitness complex fee account. Requires money in the account to be used in accordance with the terms of the partnership agreements entered into between UTB and Texas Southmost College (TSC) under Section 78.02 (Establishment; Scope).
(d) Prohibits the board from increasing the amount of the fee by more than 10 percent in any academic year unless the amount of the increase is approved by specific individuals.
(e) Provides that a fee charged under this section is in addition to any other fee the board is authorized by law to charge.
(f) Requires the fee charged under this section to be in the same amount as the wellness, recreational, and fitness complex fee charged a students at TSC by the board of trustees of Southmost Union Junior College District, subject to the limitations of this section on the amount of the fee and any increase in the amount of the fee. Provides that a student attending either or both institutions may be charged a wellness, recreational, and fitness complex fee by only one of the institutions.
(g) Authorizes the board of trustees of the Southmost Union Junior College District to pledge revenue from a fee imposed under this section, whether received directly from a student or from UTB, under the terms of the partnership agreement between UTB and TSC, for the payment of obligations issued by the Southmost Union Junior College District to finance the construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and improvement of a wellness, recreational, and fitness complex owned by TSC and used by the two institutions under the partnership. Prohibits the board of regents of The University of Texas System from pledging revenue from the fee for the payment of obligations issued for an authorized purpose under the revenue financing system of The University of Texas System, if the fee imposed under this section is pledged to the payment of obligations issued by Southmost Union Junior College District.
SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective to the 2005 fall semester.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.