BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3312
86R19426 SOS-F	By: Morrison (To Be Filed)
	Higher Education
	5/12/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

H.B. 3312 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-Victoria a health and wellness center fee. The bill restricts the use of the fee to financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, improving, and equipping a health and wellness center at the University of Houston-Victoria and establishes that the fee is in addition to any use or service fee authorized to be charged under other law. The bill makes the charging of the fee contingent on approval 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 amount of the fee at $150 per student for each regular semester, $100 per student for each summer session of 10 weeks or longer, or $50 per student for each summer session of less than 10 weeks.

H.B. 3312 requires revenue from the fee to be deposited to the credit of an account known as the University of Houston-Victoria Health and Wellness Center Fee Account under the control of the university's student fee advisory committee. The bill requires the committee to submit the following annually to the president of the university:

� the committee's recommendation for any change to the amount of the fee;

� a complete and itemized budget for the center; and

� a complete report of all center activities conducted during the past year and all expenditures made in connection with those activities.

The bill requires the president to submit the budget to the board as part of the university's institutional budget and authorizes the board to make changes in the budget that the board determines are necessary.

H.B. 3312 authorizes the board to increase the amount of a fee charged under the bill's provisions, except that a fee increase by 10 percent or more of the amount of the fee charged during the preceding academic year must be 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 under certain statutory limits. The bill establishes that, for purposes of determining whether to waive the imposition of the fee as authorized by law for a student who is not reasonably able to participate in or use the applicable activity, service, or facility, a student is considered not reasonably able to use the health and wellness center for which the fee is imposed if the student lives more than 50 miles outside the corporate limits of Victoria, Texas.

H.B. 3312 amends current law relating to authorizing a health and wellness 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 54.5406, as follows:

Sec. 54.5406.� HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER FEE; UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-VICTORIA. (a) Authorizes the board of regents of the University of Houston System (board; UH System) to charge each student enrolled at the University of Houston-Victoria (UH-Victoria) a health and wellness center fee. Prohibits the fee from being used only for the purpose of financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, improving, and equipping a health and wellness center at the UH-Victoria. Provides that a fee charged under this section is in addition to any use or service fee authorized to be charged under other law.

(b) Prohibits the health and wellness center 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.

(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 revenue from a fee charged under this section to be deposited to the credit of an account known as the UH-Victoria Health and Wellness Center Fee Account under the control of the university's student fee advisory committee (committee). Requires the committee, annually, 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 health and wellness center together with a complete report of all health and wellness center activities conducted during the past year and all expenditures made in connection with those activities. Requires the president to submit the budget to the board as part of the university's institutional budget. Authorizes the board to make changes in the budget that the board determines are necessary.

(e) Authorizes the board to increase the amount of a fee charged under this section, except that a fee increase by 10 percent or more of the amount of the fee charged during the preceding academic year must be 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 health and wellness center fee is not considered in determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be charged under Section 54.503 (Waiver of Fees).

(g) Provides that, for purposes of determining whether to waive the imposition of the fee as provided under Section 54.5035, a student is not reasonably able to use the health and wellness 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, 2019.