HBA-MPM H.B. 1488 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1488
By: Oliveira
Higher Education
2/22/1999
Introduced



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.  There is a
current lack of on-campus 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 at
Brownsville (university) to impose on each university student 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 to pledge revenue from the fee for the payment of
obligations issued for an authorized purpose under the University of Texas
System's revenue financing system. 

(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 university'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.  Provides
that a student attending either or both institutions  may be charged a
student union fee by only one of the institutions. 

SECTION 2.  Makes this Act applicable beginning with the 1999 fall semester.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.