HBA-JLV H.B. 1356 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1356
By: Berman
Higher Education
3/12/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The 75th Legislature authorized The University of Texas at Tyler to add
freshman classes beginning in 1998.  As part of building a full four-year
university, construction on a facility housing the Health and Kinesiology
academic unit and a student recreational center is expected to begin in
2001 and be completed in 2003.  Students voted in March 2000 to endorse a
new recreational facility fee to finance  a Health and Kinesiology/Physical
Education Complex.  House Bill 1356 authorizes the  board of regents of The
University of Texas System to collect a recreational facility fee from all
students at The University of Texas at Tyler. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1356 amends the Education Code to authorize the board of regents
of The University of Texas System (board) to impose a recreational facility
fee on each student enrolled at the University of Texas at Tyler.  The bill
provides that the amount of the fee may not exceed $40 per student for each
regular semester, $30 per student for each summer session of 12 weeks or
longer, $15 per student for each summer session of six weeks or more but
less than 12  weeks, and $10 per student for each summer session that is
shorter than six weeks.  The bill authorizes the board to use revenue from
the fee only to finance, construct, equip, operate, maintain, or improve a
recreational facility or program at the university, and to pledge revenue
from the fee to pay an obligation issued under the revenue financing system
of The University of Texas System. 

The bill prohibits the board from increasing the amount of the recreational
facility fee unless the amount of the increase is approved by a majority
vote of the students participating in a general student election held at
the university for that purpose.  

The bill establishes provisions regarding the accounting and budgeting of
revenues acquired from a fee imposed under these provisions. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning with the fall
semester 2001.