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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an intercollegiate athletics fee at the University of |
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North Texas. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.5191 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.5191. INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEE; UNIVERSITY OF |
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NORTH TEXAS. (a) The board of regents of the University of North |
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Texas System may charge each student enrolled at the University of |
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North Texas an intercollegiate athletics fee in an amount not to |
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exceed $10 per semester credit hour for each semester or summer |
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session. |
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(b) 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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(c) The fee may not be charged before the first semester a |
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new football stadium is available for use at the university. |
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(d) If compulsory student services fees are charged to |
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students enrolled at the university under Section 54.503, the total |
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amount of those fees charged to a student shall be reduced by $3 per |
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semester credit hour for the first semester in which an |
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intercollegiate athletics fee is charged under this section. |
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(e) Revenue from the fee charged under this section may be |
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used only for financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, or |
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improving an athletic facility or for operating an intercollegiate |
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athletics program at the university. |
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(f) The fee may not be charged unless approved by a majority |
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vote of the students enrolled at the university who participate in a |
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general student election held for that purpose. The ballot for the |
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election to approve the fee must state a maximum amount of the fee |
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that may be charged per semester credit hour, not to exceed the |
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maximum amount prescribed by Subsection (a). |
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(g) The amount of the fee may not be increased to an amount |
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that exceeds by 10 percent or more the amount of the fee as last |
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approved by a student vote under Subsection (f) or this subsection |
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unless the increase has been approved by a majority vote of the |
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students enrolled at the university who participate in a general |
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student election held for that purpose. |
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(h) The chief fiscal officer of the university shall collect |
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the fee and shall deposit the revenue from the fee in an account to |
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be known as the intercollegiate athletics fee account. |
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(i) A fee charged under this section is not considered in |
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determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be |
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charged each student enrolled at the university under Section |
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54.503. |
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(j) The fee may not be charged after the fifth academic year |
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in which the fee is first charged unless, before the end of that |
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academic year, the university has issued bonds payable in whole or |
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in part from the fee, in which event the fee may not be charged after |
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the academic year in which all such bonds, including refunding |
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bonds for those bonds, have been fully paid. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2009. |