BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1334
By: Hegar
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Prairie View A&M University has a Division I level athletics program in the Southwest Athletic Conference. As such, the university must comply with the highest level of standards established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and must meet stringent financial requirements.
In 2003, the Texas Legislature enacted legislation that established an intercollegiate athletics fee at Prairie View A&M University. The legislation set a fee of $10 to be imposed on a student enrolled in a maximum of 15 semester credit hours and included a sunset date of September 1, 2013.
The primary funding mechanism for the Division I athletics program will end in 2013, unless the sunset provision is removed from statute. On April 22, 2008, the Prairie View A&M Student Government Association held an election for students to vote on removing the sunset provision from statute. The referendum passed with two-thirds of those voting in the election favoring the removal of the sunset provision.
S.B. 1334 amends current law relating to continuation of the intercollegiate athletics fee for students at Prairie View A&M 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 Section 54.5393(f), Education Code, to provide that this section expires September 1, 2013, except that this section does not expire if before the end of the 2012-2013 academic year the board of regents issues bonds that are payable wholly or partly from the fee. Prohibits the fee authorized by this section, if the board of regents issues bonds as described by this subsection, from being imposed in any semester or session beginning after the date on which all of those bonds, including refunding bonds for the bonds, have been fully paid.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.