By: West (Senate Sponsor - Seliger) H.B. No. 1157

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 16, 2007; April 17, 2007, read first time and referred to Subcommittee on Higher Education; May 10, 2007, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute from Committee on Education by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 10, 2007, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1157 By: West

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to student services building fees at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 54.5332 to read as follows:

Sec. 54.5332. FEES FOR STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING; THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS OF THE PERMIAN BASIN. (a) The board of regents of The University of Texas System may charge each student enrolled at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin a fee for the purpose of financing the construction of a student services building at the university or for the purpose of operating the student services building.

(b) The amount of the fee may not exceed:

(1) $100 for each regular semester;

(2) $75 for each summer session of more than six weeks; or

(3) $50 for each summer session of six weeks or shorter.

(c) The amount of the fee may not be increased from one academic year to the next unless the amount of the increase is approved by a majority vote of the students participating in a general student election held for that purpose.

(d) The university shall collect the fee imposed under this section and deposit the money collected into an account to be known as the student services building account of The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Money in the account may be used only for the purposes described by Subsection (a).

(e) A fee charged under this section is in addition to any other fee the board is authorized by law to charge at the university and may not be considered in determining the maximum student services fee that may be charged under Section 54.503.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2007 fall semester.

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, 2007.

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