By:  Deuell                                                       S.B. No. 702

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to authorizing certain uses for student center complex fees charged to students enrolled in component institutions of The Texas A&M University System. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. The heading to Section 54.521, Education Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 54.521. STUDENT CENTER FACILITY [COMPLEX] FEES; TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. SECTION 2. Subsections (a) through (d), Section 54.521, Education Code, are amended to read as follows: (a) The board of regents of The Texas A&M University System may levy a regular, fixed student fee on each student enrolled in an educational institution within The Texas A&M University System for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, renovating, [producing revenue for] operating, maintaining, improving, adding to, replacing, financing, and equipping one or more [the institution's] student center facilities for the institution [complex and acquiring or constructing additions to the complex]. The board may set fees in amounts it considers just and necessary but not to exceed $100 per student for each semester for the long session and not to exceed $50 per student for each term of the summer session, or any fractional part of a session. The activities of a [the] student center facility [complex] that may be financed in whole or in part by the student center facility [complex] fee are limited to those activities in which the entire student body is eligible to participate. The financed activities may not be held outside the territorial limits of any educational institution within The Texas A&M University System. (b) The comptroller of each institution shall collect the fees levied under Subsection (a) of this section and shall credit the money received from the fees to an account known as the student center facility [complex] fee account. (c) The money collected and placed in the student center facility [complex] fee account may be used only for the purposes provided by Subsection (a) of this section. A complete and itemized budget shall be submitted to the board annually and must be accompanied by a full and complete report of all activities conducted during the past year and all expenditures made incident to the activities. The board shall make changes in the budget it considers necessary before approving the budget, and shall then levy the fees in amounts sufficient to meet the approved budget [budgetary needs of the center], within the limits fixed by this section. (d) The decision to levy a student center facility [complex] fee and the amount of the initial fee must be approved by a majority vote of those students participating in a general election called for that purpose. 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.