80R3350 JRJ-F
 
  By: Lucio S.B. No. 612
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a fee to support intercollegiate athletics at The
University of Texas at Brownsville.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 54.551 to read as follows:
       Sec. 54.551.  INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEE; THE UNIVERSITY
OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE.  (a)  The board of regents of The
University of Texas System may impose on each student enrolled at
The University of Texas at Brownsville an intercollegiate athletics
fee in an amount not to exceed $7 per semester credit hour.
       (b)  The board shall deposit revenue from the fee to the
credit of an account known as The University of Texas at Brownsville
intercollegiate athletics fee account. Money in the account shall
be used in accordance with the terms of the partnership agreements
entered into between The University of Texas at Brownsville and
Texas Southmost College under Section 78.02.
       (c)  The board may not increase the amount of the fee by more
than 10 percent from one academic year to the next unless the amount
of the increase is approved by:
             (1)  a majority vote of the students participating in a
general student election held at the university for that purpose;
and
             (2)  a majority of the members of the legislative body
of the student government of the university.
       (d)  A fee imposed under this section is in addition to any
other fee the board is authorized by law to impose.
       (e)  Subject to the limitations of this section on the amount
of the fee and any increase in the amount of the fee, the fee imposed
under this section must be in the same amount as the intercollegiate
athletics fee charged a student at Texas Southmost College by the
board of trustees of Southmost Union Junior College District. A
student attending either or both institutions may be charged an
intercollegiate athletics fee by only one of the institutions.
       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.