BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3266

By: Raney

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised that certain fees at institutions of The Texas A&M University System, such as the student medical services fee and the student center facility fee, are no longer sufficient to completely cover applicable health care expenses or the need for additional student meeting space due to increasing enrollment and new student organizations. H.B. 3266 addresses these concerns by raising the medical services fee caps and making certain other changes relating to that fee and the system's student center facility fee.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3266 amends the Education Code to change the compulsory group hospital and medical services fee that the board of regents of The Texas A&M University System may levy and collect from each student at any component institution of the system to a student medical services fee. The bill raises the cap on the fee from $75 to $200 per student for each regular semester and from $25 to $100 per student for each term of summer session. The bill authorizes the use of student medical services fees, including supplemental fees, levied at a component institution of the system to finance, construct, operate, renovate, maintain, or improve new or existing student medical facilities.

H.B. 3266 raises the cap on the student center facility fee that the board may levy on each student enrolled in an educational institution within the system from $100 to $200 per student for each semester for the long session and from $50 to $100 per student for each term of the summer session or any fractional part of a session. The bill limits the requirement for an increase of such a fee to be approved by a majority student vote at a general student election held for that purpose to an increase of 10 percent or more and makes an increase below that threshold contingent on approval by a majority vote of the board taken at a board meeting on the increase after giving students an opportunity for public comment on the increase.

H.B. 3266 applies beginning with fees charged for the 2019-2020 academic year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.