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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to authorizing a health and wellness center fee at the |
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University of Houston-Victoria. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.5406 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.5406. HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER FEE; UNIVERSITY OF |
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HOUSTON-VICTORIA. (a) The board of regents of the University of |
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Houston System may charge each student enrolled at the University |
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of Houston-Victoria a health and wellness center fee. The fee may be |
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used only for the purpose of financing, constructing, operating, |
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maintaining, improving, and equipping a health and wellness center |
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at the University of Houston-Victoria. A fee charged under this |
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section is in addition to any use or service fee authorized to be |
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charged under other law. |
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(b) The health and wellness center fee may not be charged |
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unless the charging of the fee is approved by a majority vote of the |
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students enrolled at the university participating in a general |
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student election held for that purpose. |
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(c) The amount of a fee charged under this section may not |
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exceed: |
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(1) $150 per student for each regular semester; |
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(2) $100 per student for each summer session of 10 |
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weeks or longer; or |
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(3) $50 per student for each summer session of less |
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than 10 weeks. |
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(d) Revenue from a fee charged under this section shall be |
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deposited to the credit of an account known as the University of |
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Houston-Victoria Health and Wellness Center Fee Account under the |
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control of the university's student fee advisory committee. |
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Annually, the committee shall submit to the president of the |
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university its recommendation for any change to the amount of the |
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fee and a complete and itemized budget for the health and wellness |
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center together with a complete report of all health and wellness |
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center activities conducted during the past year and all |
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expenditures made in connection with those activities. The |
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president shall submit the budget to the board of regents as part of |
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the university's institutional budget. The board of regents may |
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make changes in the budget that the board determines are necessary. |
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(e) The board of regents may increase the amount of a fee |
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charged under this section, except that a fee increase by 10 percent |
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or more of the amount of the fee charged during the preceding |
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academic year must be approved by a majority vote of students |
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enrolled at the university participating in a general student |
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election held for that purpose. The ballot proposition for an |
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election under this subsection must clearly state the amount of the |
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proposed fee increase and describe the reason for the proposed fee |
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increase. |
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(f) The health and wellness center fee is not considered in |
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determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be |
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charged under Section 54.503. |
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(g) For purposes of determining whether to waive the |
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imposition of the fee as provided under Section 54.5035, a student |
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is not reasonably able to use the health and wellness center for |
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which a fee is imposed under this section if the student lives more |
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than 50 miles outside the corporate limits of Victoria, Texas. |
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SECTION 2. 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. |
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