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AN ACT
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relating to student fees at component institutions of The Texas A&M |
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University System. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 54.5031, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A student fee advisory committee is established at each |
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institution of higher education except The University of Texas at |
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Austin and the institutions of The Texas A&M University System to |
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advise the governing board and administration of the institution on |
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the type, amount, and expenditure of compulsory fees for student |
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services under Section 54.503 of this code. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.5032 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.5032. STUDENT FEE ADVISORY COMMITTEE; THE TEXAS A&M |
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UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. (a) A student fee advisory committee is |
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established at each component institution of The Texas A&M |
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University System to advise the board of regents and the |
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administration of the institution on the type, amount, and |
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expenditure of compulsory fees for student services under Section |
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54.503, for student health and medical services under Section |
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54.507, for student center facilities under Section 54.521, and for |
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recreational sports under Section 54.539. |
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(b) Each committee is composed of the following nine |
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members: |
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(1) five student members who are enrolled for not less |
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than six semester credit hours at the institution and who are |
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representative of all students enrolled at the institution, |
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selected under Subsection (c); and |
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(2) four members who are representative of the entire |
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institution, appointed by the president of the institution. |
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(c) If the institution has a student government, the student |
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government shall appoint three students to serve two-year terms on |
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the committee and two students to serve one-year terms on the |
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committee. If the institution does not have a student government, |
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the students enrolled at the institution shall elect three students |
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to serve two-year terms on the committee and two students to serve |
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one-year terms on the committee. A candidate for a position on the |
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committee must designate whether the position is for a one-year or |
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two-year term. |
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(c-1) This subsection expires September 1, 2009. |
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Notwithstanding Subsection (c): |
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(1) a person serving on the student fee advisory |
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committee under Section 54.5031 at an institution to which this |
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section applies on the date this section takes effect is considered |
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to be a member of the student fee advisory committee established at |
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the institution under this section for the same term that the person |
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is serving when this section takes effect; and |
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(2) a person appointed, elected, or otherwise selected |
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to serve on the student fee advisory committee under Section |
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54.5031 at an institution to which this section applies before the |
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date this section takes effect for a term that was to begin on or |
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after the date this section takes effect is considered to have been |
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appointed, elected, or otherwise selected to serve on the student |
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fee advisory committee established at the institution under this |
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section for the same term. |
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(d) A student member of the committee who withdraws from the |
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institution must resign from the committee. |
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(e) A vacancy in an appointive position on the committee |
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shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same |
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manner as the original appointment. A vacancy in an elective |
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position on the committee shall be filled for the unexpired portion |
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of the term by appointment by the president of the institution. |
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(f) The committee shall: |
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(1) study the type, amount, and expenditure of the |
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compulsory fees imposed under Sections 54.503, 54.507, 54.521, and |
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54.539; and |
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(2) meet with appropriate administrators of the |
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institution, submit a written report on the study under Subdivision |
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(1), and recommend the type, amount, and expenditure of the |
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compulsory fees to be charged for the next academic year. |
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(g) Before recommending the student fee budget to the board |
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of regents each year, the president of the institution shall |
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consider the report and recommendations of the committee. If the |
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president's recommendations to the board of regents are |
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substantially different from the committee's recommendations to |
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the president, the president of the institution shall notify the |
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committee not later than the last date on which the committee may |
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request an appearance at the meeting of the board of regents at |
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which the student fee budget will be considered. On request of a |
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member of the committee, the president of the institution shall |
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provide the member with a written report of the president's |
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recommendations to the board of regents. |
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SECTION 3. Subsections (a), (c), (d), and (e), Section |
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54.539, Education Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) If approved by student vote at an institution, the Board |
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of Regents of The Texas A&M University System may charge students at |
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a component institution of [such institutions within] The Texas A&M |
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University System a recreational sports fee not to exceed $175 for |
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each regular [$100 a] semester and not to exceed $87.50 for each |
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term of each [or 12-week] summer session [or $50 a six-week summer
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session]. The fee may be used only for financing, constructing, |
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operating, maintaining, and improving new and existing |
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recreational sports facilities and programs at the designated |
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institution [university]. |
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(c) The amount of the fee authorized by this section may not |
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be increased to an amount that exceeds by 10 percent or more the |
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total amount of the fee that is in effect on September 1, 2007, or as |
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last approved by a student vote under this subsection [from one
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academic year to the next] unless the increase has been approved by |
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a majority vote of the students at the affected institution |
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participating in a general election called for that purpose[,
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except that at Tarleton State University the fee may be increased by
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not more than 10 percent from one academic year to the next without
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holding an election]. The fee may not exceed the maximum amounts |
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provided by Subsection (a). |
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(d) If, in an academic year, the total compulsory fee |
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charged under this section is proposed to be increased by an amount |
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less than an amount that would require a student election under |
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Subsection (c), the board of regents of The Texas A&M University |
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System may, in lieu of an election, hold a public meeting on the |
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increase at which students have the opportunity to comment before |
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the increase takes effect [A fee may not be imposed under this
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section until the semester in which a campus recreational sports
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facility will be available for use]. |
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(e) Each university shall collect any student recreational |
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sports fee imposed under this section and shall deposit the money |
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collected in an account to be known as the student recreational |
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sports account. [A recreational sports fee may not be collected
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after the 20th anniversary of the date it is first collected or
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after all bonded indebtedness for any campus recreational sports
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facility for which the fee receipts are pledged is paid, whichever
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is later.] |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 54.5395, 54.5396, and 54.5397 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 54.5395. INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEES; TEXAS A&M |
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INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY. (a) The board of regents of The Texas |
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A&M University System may impose an intercollegiate athletics fee |
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on each student enrolled at Texas A&M International University. |
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The fee may not be imposed unless approved by a majority vote of the |
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students participating in a general student election held at the |
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university for that purpose. |
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(b) The amount of the fee may not exceed $5 per semester |
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credit hour for each regular semester or summer session, unless the |
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amount is increased as provided by Subsection (c). |
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(c) The amount of the fee may not be increased to an amount |
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that exceeds by 10 percent or more the total amount of the fee as |
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last approved by a student vote under Subsection (a) or this |
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subsection unless the increase has been approved by a majority vote |
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of the students enrolled at the university who participate in a |
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general student election held for that purpose. |
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(d) A student enrolled in more than 15 semester credit hours |
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shall pay the fee in an amount equal to the amount imposed on a |
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student enrolled in 15 semester credit hours during the same |
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semester or session. |
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(e) A fee imposed under this section may be used to develop |
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and maintain an intercollegiate athletics program at the |
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university. |
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(f) A fee imposed under this section is in addition to any |
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other fee authorized by law and may not be considered in determining |
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the amount of student services fees that may be imposed under |
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Section 54.503. |
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Sec. 54.5396. INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEES; WEST TEXAS |
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A&M UNIVERSITY. (a) The board of regents of The Texas A&M |
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University System may impose an intercollegiate athletics fee on |
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each student enrolled at West Texas A&M University. The fee may not |
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be imposed unless approved by a majority vote of the students |
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participating in a general student election held at the university |
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for that purpose. |
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(b) The amount of the fee may not exceed $10 per semester |
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credit hour for each regular semester or summer session, unless the |
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amount is increased as provided by Subsection (c). |
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(c) The amount of the fee may not be increased to an amount |
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that exceeds by 10 percent or more the total amount of the fee as |
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last approved by a student vote under Subsection (a) or this |
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subsection unless the increase has been approved by a majority vote |
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of the students enrolled at the university who participate in a |
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general student election held for that purpose. |
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(d) A student enrolled in more than 13 semester credit hours |
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shall pay the fee in an amount equal to the amount imposed on a |
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student enrolled in 13 semester credit hours during the same |
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semester or session. |
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(e) A fee imposed under this section may be used to develop |
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and maintain an intercollegiate athletics program at the |
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university. |
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(f) A fee imposed under this section is in addition to any |
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other fee authorized by law and may not be considered in determining |
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the amount of student services fees that may be imposed under |
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Section 54.503. |
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Sec. 54.5397. INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEES; TEXAS A&M |
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UNIVERSITY--COMMERCE. (a) The board of regents of The Texas A&M |
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University System may impose an intercollegiate athletics fee on |
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each student enrolled at Texas A&M University--Commerce. The fee |
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may not be imposed unless approved by a majority vote of the |
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students participating in a general student election held at the |
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university for that purpose. |
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(b) The amount of the fee may not exceed $10 per semester |
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credit hour for each regular semester or summer session, unless the |
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amount is increased as provided by Subsection (c). |
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(c) The amount of the fee may not be increased to an amount |
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that exceeds by 10 percent or more the total amount of the fee as |
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last approved by a student vote under Subsection (a) or this |
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subsection unless the increase has been approved by a majority vote |
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of the students enrolled at the university who participate in a |
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general student election held for that purpose. |
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(d) A student enrolled in more than 13 semester credit hours |
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shall pay the fee in an amount equal to the amount imposed on a |
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student enrolled in 13 semester credit hours during the same |
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semester or session. |
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(e) A fee imposed under this section may be used to develop |
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and maintain an intercollegiate athletics program at the |
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university. |
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(f) A fee imposed under this section is in addition to any |
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other fee authorized by law and may not be considered in determining |
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the amount of student services fees that may be imposed under |
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Section 54.503. |
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SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act applies |
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beginning with a fee imposed for the 2007 fall semester. A fee |
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imposed for an academic period before the 2007 fall semester is |
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covered by the law in effect immediately before the effective date |
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of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1495 passed the Senate on |
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May 1, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1495 passed the House on |
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May 23, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, two |
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present not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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Approved: |
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______________________________ |
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Date |
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______________________________ |
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Governor |