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.