HBA-MPM H.B. 1488 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1488 By: Oliveira Higher Education 6/4/1999 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current student enrollment at the University of Texas at Brownsville is 8,812 and is projected to increase in the next ten years. Prior to the 76th Legislative session, there was a current lack of oncampus facilities in which students may conduct activities between classes. On February 18, 1998, students at the university voted in favor of a per-semester fee increase for the construction of a new facility. H.B. 1488 allows the university's board of regents to impose a student union fee to be used for the construction of this facility, which is to be used in partnership with Texas Southmost College. The bill also prohibits the board from increasing the fee more than 10 percent in any academic year, unless approved by the majority of voters in a student election and the majority of members of the university's student government. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, by adding Section 54.546, as follows: Sec. 54.546. STUDENT UNION FEES; THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE. (a) Authorizes the board of regents (board) of the University of Texas System to impose on each university student at the University of Texas at Brownsville (university) a student union fee (fee) of not less than $34.35 or more than $70 for each semester or long summer session. Specifies that the fee is for the sole purpose of financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, renovating, and improving a student union building owned by Texas Southmost College and used in partnership with the university under Section 78.02 (Establishment; Scope), Education Code. Provides that the fee may be imposed in addition to any other fee. (b) Requires the revenue from this fee to be deposited to the university's student union account and to be used in accordance with the terms of the partnership agreements entered into between the university and Texas Southmost College under Section 78.02. (c) Authorizes the board of trustees of the Southmost Union Junior College District (district) to pledge revenue from a fee imposed under this section, whether received directly from a student or from the university, under the terms of the partnership agreement between the university and Texas Southmost College, for the payment of obligations issued by the district to finance the construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and improvement of a student union building to be owned by Texas Southmost College and used by the two institutions under the partnership. Prohibits the board from pledging revenue from the fee for the payment of obligations issued for an authorized purpose under the revenue financing system of The University of Texas System, if the fee imposed under this section is pledged to the payment of obligations issued by the district. (d) Prohibits the board from increasing the fee amount by more than 10 percent in any academic year unless the increase is approved by a majority of voters in a student election and a majority of the members of the legislative body of the institution's student government. (e) Provides that subject to the limitations of this section on the amount of the fee and any increase in the fee, the fee must be in the same amount as the student union fee charged to a student at Texas Southmost College by the board of trustees of Southmost Union Junior College District. Authorizes a student attending either or both institutions to be charged a student union fee by only one of the institutions. SECTION 2. Amends Section 130.123(c), Education Code to require the governing board of each junior college district and each regional college district to be authorized to fix and collect student union fees, among other fees, from students and others for the occupancy, use and/or availability of all and any of its property, buildings, structures, activities, operations, or facilities, of any nature, in such amounts and in such manner as may be determined by such board. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.