BILL ANALYSIS
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The University of Houston – Clear Lake recently transitioned to a four-year university with the enrollment of over 500 freshmen and sophomores. As such, more students will be living on the university campus, creating additional demand for student services.
The university's student government recently passed a resolution in support of a fee-based recreation and wellness center building, and the university has also developed a timeline for the proposed recreation and wellness center project and made provisions for faculty and student support for the center. H.B. 2921 seeks to authorize a fee for the center.
H.B. 2921 amends the Education Code to authorize the board of regents of the University of Houston System to charge each student enrolled at the University of Houston – Clear Lake a recreation and wellness facility fee to be used only for the purpose of financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, improving, and equipping a recreation and wellness facility and for operating recreation and wellness programs at the university.
The bill prohibits the fee from being charged unless the charging of the fee is approved by a majority vote of the students enrolled at the university participating in a general student election held for that purpose. The bill caps the fee amount at $150 per student for each regular semester, $75 per student for each summer session of eight weeks or longer, and $50 per student for each term of the summer session of less than eight weeks.
H.B. 2921 requires revenue from the recreation and wellness facility fee to be deposited to the credit of an account known as the University of Houston – Clear Lake recreation and wellness facility fee account.
H.B. 2921 authorizes the board of regents to increase the fee amount, but prohibits the board from increasing it by more than 10 percent the amount charged 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. The bill establishes that the fee is not considered in determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be charged.
H.B. 2921 amends current law relating to authorizing a recreation and wellness facility fee at the University of Houston – Clear Lake.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, by adding Section 54.5401, as follows:
Sec. 54.5401. RECREATION AND WELLNESS FACILITY FEE; UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON – CLEAR LAKE. (a) Authorizes the board of regents of the University of Houston System (board of regents) to charge each student enrolled at the University of Houston – Clear Lake a recreation and wellness facility fee. Requires that the fee be used only for the purpose of financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, improving, and equipping a recreation and wellness facility and for operating recreation and wellness programs at the University of Houston – Clear Lake.
(b) Prohibits the recreation and wellness facility fee from being charged unless the charging of the fee is 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 charged under this section from exceeding:
(1) $150 per student for each regular semester;
(2) $75 per student for each summer session of eight weeks or longer; or
(3) $50 per student for each term of the summer session of less than eight weeks.
(d) Requires that revenue from a fee charged under this section be deposited to the credit of an account known as the University of Houston – Clear Lake Recreation and Wellness Facility Fee Account.
(e) Authorizes the board of regents to increase the amount of a fee charged under this section, except prohibits the board of regents from increasing the amount of the fee to an amount that exceeds by more than 10 percent the amount of the fee charged 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 the recreation and wellness facility fee is not considered in determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be charged under Section 54.503 (Student Services Fees).
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.