BILL ANALYSIS
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
In support of the goal of the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) to become a destination university, facilities are needed to support student engagement and provide amenities common to other institutions. A Student Center would be the first step towards this goal and provide the entire campus community with a central meeting place where everyone is welcomed. This will enhance recruiting and retention and thus contribute significantly to enrollment growth. The fee charged would be for the sole purpose of financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, and improving a student center for UHV.
Therefore, the Student Government Association, with the support of the university administration, is proposing the institution of a Student Center Fee of $150 per student for each regular semester, $100 per student for the 10 week or longer summer term, and $50 per student for each summer term of five weeks or longer but less than 10 weeks. This fee will only apply to students who reside within 50 miles of the Victoria campus.
H.B. 2568 amends current law relating to authorizing a student center fee at the University of Houston-Victoria.
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 54.5405, as follows:
Sec. 54.5405. STUDENT CENTER FEE; UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-VICTORIA. (a) Authorizes the board of regents of the University of Houston System to impose on each student enrolled at the University of Houston-Victoria a student center fee to be used only for the purpose of financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, improving, and equipping a student center at the university. Provides that a fee imposed under this section is in addition to any use or service fee authorized to be imposed under other law.
(b) Requires that the amount of the initial fee imposed under this section be approved by a majority vote of the students enrolled at the university participating in a general student election held for that purpose.
(c) Prohibits the amount of a fee imposed under this section from exceeding:
(1) $150 per student for each regular semester;
(2) $100 per student for each summer session of 10 weeks or longer; or
(3) $50 per student for each summer session of less than 10 weeks.
(d) Requires that revenue from a fee imposed under this section be deposited to the credit of an account known as the "University of Houston-Victoria Student Center Fee Account" under the control of the university's student fee advisory committee. Requires the committee to submit to the president of the university its recommendation for any change to the amount of the fee and a complete and itemized budget for the student center together with a complete report of all student center activities conducted during the past year and all expenditures made in connection with those activities annually. Requires the president to submit the budget to the board of regents as part of the university's institutional budget. Authorizes the board of regents to make changes in the budget that the board determines are necessary.
(e) Authorizes the board of regents to increase the amount of a fee imposed under this section, except the board is prohibited from increasing the amount of the fee to an amount that exceeds by more than 10 percent the amount of the fee imposed during the preceding academic year unless the amount of the increase is approved by a majority vote of students enrolled at the university participating in a general student election held for that purpose.
(f) Provides that, for purposes of determining whether to waive the imposition of the fee as provided under Section 54.5035 (Waiver of Fees), a student is not reasonably able to use the student center for which a fee is imposed under this section if the student lives more than 50 miles outside the corporate limits of Victoria, Texas.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.