By:  Eltife                                                       S.B. No. 1048


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)  The board of regents of The University of Texas System 
may levy a student union fee, not to exceed $100 per student for 
each regular semester or summer session or more than six weeks and 
not to exceed $50 per student for each summer session of six weeks 
or less, for the sole purpose of financing, constructing, 
operating, maintaining, and improving a student union building for 
The University of Texas at Tyler.  The fee may not be imposed unless 
approved by a majority vote of the students participating in a 
general student election held at the university for that purpose.
	(b)  The student union fee authorized by this section may not 
be increased more than 10 percent from one academic year to the next 
unless the increase has been approved by a majority vote of those 
students participating in a general student election called for 
that purpose.
	(c)  Such fees shall be deposited to an account known as the 
University of Texas at Tyler Student Union Fee Account 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 of Texas at Tyler a complete and 
itemized budget to be accompanied by a full and complete report of 
all activities conducted during the past year and all expenditures 
made incident thereto.  The president shall submit the budget to the 
board of regents as part of the institutional budget.  The board of 
regents shall make such changes in the budget as it deems necessary 
before approving the budget, and shall then levy the fees, within 
the limits herein fixed, in such amounts as will be sufficient to 
meet the budgetary needs of the student union building.
	(d)  A student union fee imposed under this section is not 
counted in determining the maximum student services fee that may be 
charged under Section 54.503.
	(e)  The board of regents may pledge fees levied under this 
section to pay obligations issued pursuant to the revenue financing 
system of The University of Texas System.
	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 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.