HBA-LJP H.B. 462 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 462
By: Crownover
Higher Education
7/3/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Prior to the 77the Legislature, the board of regents of the University of
North Texas (board) was authorized to charge enrolled students no more than
$25 a semester for the medical services fee.  Since the fall semester of
1997, the board had been charging enrolled students the maximum $25 a
semester which was deemed insufficient. The board requested legislation to
raise the maximum medical services fee to provide adequate medical services
to enrolled students.  House Bill 462 authorizes the board to raise the
maximum medical services 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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 462 amends the Education Code to raise the maximum medical
services fee the board of regents of the University of North Texas System
(board) is authorized to charge each student registered at a component
institution of the University of North Texas System (institution).  The
bill raises the maximum authorized fee from $25 to $75 for each semester of
the regular term or 12-week summer session, and from $12.50 to $37.50 for
each six-week or shorter term of the summer session. 

The bill prohibits the board from increasing the medical services fee
charged at an institution by more than 10 percent from one academic year to
the next, unless a majority of the students at the institution approve the
amount of the increase in a general election held at the institution for
that purpose. 

The bill also prohibits the board from increasing the amount of the medical
services fee charged at an institution to more than $30 for the fall
semester of 2001 unless the increase is approved by a majority of the
students at the institution voting in an election held for that purpose. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

May 28, 2001.  The Act applies beginning with the fall semester 2001.