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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to fees charged to students enrolled at component |
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institutions of The Texas A&M University System. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 54.5032(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) A student fee advisory committee is established at each |
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component institution of The Texas A&M University System to advise |
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the board of regents and the administration of the institution on |
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the type, amount, and expenditure of compulsory fees for student |
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services under Section 54.503, for student [health and] medical |
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services under Section 54.507, for student center facilities under |
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Section 54.521, and for recreational sports under Section 54.539. |
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SECTION 2. The heading to Section 54.507, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.507. STUDENT [GROUP HOSPITAL AND] MEDICAL SERVICES |
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FEES; THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 54.507(a), (b), (c), and (f), Education |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System |
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may levy and collect from each student at any institution of higher |
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education which is a part of The Texas A&M University System a |
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compulsory student [group hospital and] medical services fee not to |
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exceed $200 [$75] for each regular semester and not to exceed $100 |
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[$25] for each term of each summer session. The compulsory student |
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[group hospital and] medical services fee may not be levied unless |
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the levy of the fee has been approved by a majority vote of those |
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students at the affected institution participating in a general |
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student election called for that purpose. |
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(b) In addition to the fee authorized under Subsection (a) |
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[of this section], the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University |
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System may levy and collect from each student registered at Prairie |
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View A&M University a supplemental student [group hospital and] |
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medical services fee not to exceed $30 for each regular semester and |
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not to exceed $12.50 for each term of the summer session. The |
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supplemental student [group hospital and] medical services fee may |
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not be levied unless the levy of the fee has been approved by a |
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majority vote of the students registered at Prairie View A&M |
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University participating in a general election called for that |
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purpose. |
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(c) A fee levied under this section at a component |
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institution of The Texas A&M University System may be used only to |
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finance, construct, operate, renovate, maintain, or improve new or |
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existing student medical facilities or provide [hospital or other] |
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medical services to students registered at that component |
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institution. |
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(f) An election under this section must also permit the |
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students to vote on whether student [hospital and] medical services |
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should be provided to students at the institution by the |
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institution or by a private entity. The vote by the students on the |
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responsibility for provision of student [hospital and] medical |
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services to students at the institution is not binding on the |
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institution. |
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SECTION 4. Sections 54.521(a) and (e), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The board of regents of The Texas A&M University System |
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may levy a regular, fixed student fee on each student enrolled in an |
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educational institution within The Texas A&M University System for |
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the purpose of acquiring, constructing, renovating, operating, |
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maintaining, improving, adding to, replacing, financing, and |
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equipping one or more student center facilities for the |
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institution. The board may set fees in amounts it considers just and |
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necessary but not to exceed $200 [$100] per student for each |
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semester for the long session and not to exceed $100 [$50] per |
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student for each term of the summer session, or any fractional part |
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of a session. The activities of a student center facility that may |
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be financed in whole or in part by the student center facility fee |
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are limited to those activities in which the entire student body is |
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eligible to participate. The financed activities may not be held |
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outside the territorial limits of any educational institution |
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within The Texas A&M University System. |
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(e) The amount of the fee authorized by this section may not |
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be increased from one academic year to the next by 10 percent or |
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more, unless the increase has been approved by a majority vote of |
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the students at the affected institution participating in a general |
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election called for that purpose or, if the amount of the fee |
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increase does not exceed 10 percent, the amount of the fee increase |
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has been approved by a majority vote of the board of regents taken |
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at a board meeting on the increase after giving students an |
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opportunity for public comment on the increase [except that at
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Tarleton State University the fee may be increased by not more than
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10 percent from one academic year to the next without holding an
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election]. The fee may not exceed the maximum amounts provided by |
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Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 5. Sections 54.507 and 54.521, Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act, apply beginning with fees charged for the |
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2019-2020 academic year. A fee charged in an academic year before |
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that academic year is covered by the law in effect before the |
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effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |