By: Estes S.B. No. 473
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to an intercollegiate athletics fee at the University of
  North Texas.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 54.5191 to read as follows:
         Sec. 54.5191.  INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEE; UNIVERSITY OF
  NORTH TEXAS. (a)  The board of regents of the University of North
  Texas System may charge each student enrolled at the University of
  North Texas an intercollegiate athletics fee in an amount not to
  exceed $10 per semester credit hour for each semester or summer
  session.
         (b)  A student enrolled in more than 15 semester credit hours
  shall pay the fee in an amount equal to the amount imposed on a
  student enrolled in 15 semester credit hours during the same
  semester or session.
         (c)  The fee may not be charged before the first semester a
  new football stadium is available for use at the university.
         (d)  If compulsory student services fees are charged to
  students enrolled at the university under Section 54.503, the total
  amount of those fees charged to a student shall be reduced by $3 per
  semester credit hour for the first semester in which an
  intercollegiate athletics fee is charged under this section.
         (e)  Revenue from the fee charged under this section may be
  used only for financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, or
  improving an athletic facility or for operating an intercollegiate
  athletics program at the university.
         (f)  The fee may not be charged unless approved by a majority
  vote of the students enrolled at the university who participate in a
  general student election held for that purpose.  The ballot for the
  election to approve the fee must state a maximum amount of the fee
  that may be charged per semester credit hour, not to exceed the
  maximum amount prescribed by Subsection (a).
         (g)  The amount of the fee may not be increased to an amount
  that exceeds by 10 percent or more the amount of the fee as last
  approved by a student vote under Subsection (f) or this subsection
  unless the increase has been approved by a majority vote of the
  students enrolled at the university who participate in a general
  student election held for that purpose.
         (h)  The chief fiscal officer of the university shall collect
  the fee and shall deposit the revenue from the fee in an account to
  be known as the intercollegiate athletics fee account.
         (i)  A fee charged under this section is not considered in
  determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be
  charged each student enrolled at the university under Section
  54.503.
         (j)  The fee may not be 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 from the
  fee, in which event the fee may not be charged after the academic
  year in which all such bonds, including refunding bonds for those
  bonds, have been fully paid.
         SECTION 2.  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, 2009.