By: Perez (Senate Sponsor - Miles) H.B. No. 1277

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 15, 2019; April 16, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education; May 13, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 13, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1277 By: Powell

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to authorizing a wellness and success center fee at the University of Houston-Downtown.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 54.5402 to read as follows:

Sec. 54.5402. WELLNESS AND SUCCESS CENTER FEE; UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-DOWNTOWN. (a) The board of regents of the University of Houston System may charge each student enrolled at the University of Houston-Downtown a wellness and success center fee. The fee may be used only for the purpose of financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, improving, and equipping a wellness and success center and for operating student wellness programs at the University of Houston-Downtown.

(b) The wellness and success center fee may not be 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) The amount of a fee charged under this section may not exceed:

(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) Revenue from a fee charged under this section shall be deposited to the credit of an account known as the University of Houston-Downtown Wellness and Success Center Fee Account.

(e) The board of regents may increase the amount of a fee charged under this section, except that the board may not increase 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. The ballot proposition for such an election must clearly state the amount of the proposed fee increase and describe the reason for the proposed fee increase.

(f) The wellness and success center fee is not considered in determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be charged under Section 54.503.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019.

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