HBA-KMH H.B. 3634 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3634
By: Naishtat
Higher Education
3/26/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The students of the University of Texas at Austin (UT) have passed a
referendum by a 67 percent affirmative vote to increase the Gregory
Gymnasium renovation fee by $0.85 per student per credit hour.  The
referendum designated the fee increase to pay for the renovation of the
existing Gregory Gymnasium pool and the construction of an outdoor aquatics
center.  

H.B. 3634 codifies the referendum held on this issue on the UT campus by
creating an aquatics center fee. 

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 Chapter 54, Education Code, by adding Section 54.5372,
as follows: 

Sec.  54.5372.  AQUATICS CENTER FEE; THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. (a)
Authorizes the board of regents of the University of Texas at Austin (UT)
to charge each student enrolled at UT a fee not to exceed $0.85 per credit
hour per semester.  Authorizes the fee to be used for financing,
constructing, renovating, operating, maintaining, and improving an Aquatics
Center at the Gregory Gymnasium Complex. 

(b) Requires the board of regents to prorate the fee allowed under this
section based on the length of semester or term for which the student is
enrolled. 

(c) Requires UT to collect the fee imposed under this section and use it
only for the purposes described in this section. 

(d) Prohibits a fee under this section from being collected until the
semester in which the Aquatics Center has been substantially completed and
is made available for use. 

(e) Authorizes the board of regents to pledge fees collected under this
section for the payment of obligations issued for authorized purposes
pursuant to the revenue financing system of UT. 

(f) Prohibits the fees collected under this section from being counted in
determining the maximum student services fee which may be charged to
students of UT under this subchapter. 

SECTION 2.  Makes application of this Act prospective beginning with the
fall semester 1999. 

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