BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 4501
81R28119 E By: Coleman (Ellis)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
H.B. 4501 relates to an intercollegiate athletics fee at Texas Southern University.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, by adding Section 54.5223, as follows:
Sec. 54.5223. INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEE: TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. (a) Authorizes the board of regents of Texas Southern University to impose an intercollegiate athletics fee on each student enrolled at Texas Southern University in an amount not to exceed $10 per semester credit hour.
(b) Prohibits the amount of the fee imposed on a student in a semester or session from exceeding the amount of the fee imposed on a student enrolled in 15 semester credit hours during the same semester or session.
(c) Prohibits the fee from being imposed unless approved by a majority vote of the students of the university participating in a general student election held for that purpose.
(d) Authorizes the amount of the fee per semester credit hour to be increased from one academic year to the next only if approved by a majority vote of the students of the university participating in a general student election held for that purpose.
(e) Authorizes a fee imposed under this section to be used to develop and maintain
an intercollegiate athletics program at the university.
(f) Provides that a fee imposed under this section is in addition to any other fee authorized by law and prohibits the fee from being considered in determining the maximum amount of student services fees authorized to be imposed under Section 54.503 (Student Services Fees).
(g) Prohibits the fee from being charged after the fifth academic year in which the fee is first charged unless, before the end of that academic year, the university has issued bonds payable in whole or in part from the fee, in which event the fee is prohibited from being charged after the academic year in which all such bonds, including refunding bonds for those bonds, have been fully paid.
SECTION 2. Provides this Act applies beginning with the 2009 fall semester.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.