BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4182

By: Sherman, Sr.

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD), located in the heart of Dallas, is reportedly in the early stages of establishing an intercollegiate athletic program to develop a greater sense of school pride for its students and the surrounding community. In order to maintain and grow such a program, and to help the university build a lasting tradition, UNTD is seeking the authority to assess and collect an athletics fee. H.B. 4182 aims to authorize the imposition of an intercollegiate athletics fee at the university.

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. 4182 amends the Education Code to authorize the board of regents of the University of North Texas System to charge each student enrolled at the University of North Texas at Dallas an intercollegiate athletics fee in an initial amount capped at $10 per semester credit hour for each regular semester or summer session. The bill requires a student enrolled in more than 12 semester credit hours to pay the fee in an amount equal to the amount charged a student enrolled in 12 semester credit hours during the same semester or session. The bill restricts the use of revenue from the fee to the development and maintenance of an intercollegiate athletics program at the university. The bill makes the imposition of the fee contingent on approval by a majority vote of the students enrolled at the university who participate in a general student election held for that purpose. The bill makes an increase in the amount of the fee per semester credit hour contingent on approval by a majority vote of the students participating in a general student election held for that purpose or, if the amount of the increase does not exceed five percent, by a majority vote of the legislative body of the student government. The bill establishes that such a fee is in addition to any other fee authorized by law and prohibits the fee from being considered in determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be charged to each student enrolled at the university. The bill prohibits the fee from being charged before the 2019 fall semester.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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