79R9321 CAS-F
By: Berman H.B. No. 2108
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a student union fee at The University of Texas at Tyler.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 54.5343 to read as follows:
Sec. 54.5343. STUDENT UNION FEE; THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT
TYLER. (a) If authorized under Subsection (b), the board of
regents of The University of Texas System may impose on each student
enrolled at The University of Texas at Tyler a student union fee for
the purpose of providing revenue for financing, constructing,
operating, maintaining, renovating, improving, or equipping a
student union building for the university. The fee may not exceed:
(1) $100 per student for each semester or each summer
session of more than six weeks; or
(2) $50 per student for each summer session of six
weeks or less.
(b) The board of regents may not impose a student union fee
under this section unless imposition of the fee is approved by a
majority of the university's students voting in a general student
election called for that purpose. The board of regents may not
increase the amount of the student union fee under this section by
more than 10 percent from one academic year to the next unless the
amount of the increase is approved by a majority of the university's
students voting in a general student election called for that
purpose.
(c) The fiscal officer of The University of Texas at Tyler
shall collect the fees imposed under this section and shall credit
the money received from the fees to an account known as The
University of Texas at Tyler student union fee 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 Student Union Advisory Committee. The committee
shall annually submit to the president of the university a complete
and itemized budget accompanied by a full and complete report of
all activities conducted during the preceding year and all
expenditures made in connection with those activities. The
president shall submit the budget to the board of regents as part of
the institutional budget. The board of regents shall make the
changes in the budget as the board 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).
(d) The board of regents may pledge revenue from the fees
imposed under this section to pay obligations issued for authorized
purposes pursuant to the revenue financing system of The University
of Texas System.
(e) A student union fee imposed under this section is 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 54.5343, Education Code, as added by
this Act, applies only to fees imposed for a semester or other
academic 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, 2005.