BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                    C.S.H.B. 2212

                                                                                                                                    By: Quintanilla

                                                                                                                                Higher Education

                                                                                                        Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Established through legislative action in 1987, the current union fee of $30 per long semester and $15 per summer term of less than 6 weeks is no longer sufficient to maintain the Union Facilities and Services nor fund needed improvements.  The union fee has been at the cap of $30 since the spring of 1998.  The greatest challenge the Student Union faces in the coming years is to maintain the infrastructure of the building.  There is a significant amount of deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed.  Additionally, the cost of maintaining the improvements and keeping up with increased maintenance and operational costs requires additional fee revenues.  The University of Texas El Paso Student Union is one of the largest in the state but currently has one of the lowest union fees.  Further, the enrollment for fall 2004 was 18,918 and all projections indicate continued growth.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. 

 

ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1 - Section 54.535 of the Education Code is amended to authorize the board of regents of The University of Texas System to levy a student union fee not to exceed $75 per student for each regular semester or each summer session of six weeks or more, and not to exceed $37.50 per student for each summer session of less than six weeks.

 

The fee may not be increased unless approved by a majority vote of those students participating in a general student election called for that purpose; an increase for any academic year may not exceed $3 per student per semester or term of 10 weeks or more, or $1.50 per student for a shorter term.

 

SECTION 2 - The change in the law will begin with the fall semester of 2005.

 

SECTION 3 - Effective date.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2005

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

 

The substitute corrects a typographical error on line 11 first page of the original - delete the number 8, and a typographical error on line 29 first page of the original - strike out 10 weeks and replace with six weeks in order to follow consistency with Section 1 (a).