H.B. No. 2954
AN ACT
relating to authorizing an increase in the student center fee at
Texas Southern University.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 54.522, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a), (c), (d), and (e) and adding Subsection
(f) to read as follows:
(a) The board of regents of Texas Southern University may
impose on each student enrolled in the university [levy and
collect] a student fee not to exceed $75 [$35] per student for each
semester of the regular term [long session] and not to exceed $37.50
[$17.50] per student for each summer term [of the summer session,
from each student enrolled in Texas Southern University], as the
board determines [may in its discretion be just and] necessary for
the purpose of operating, maintaining, improving, and equipping the
student center and acquiring or constructing additions to the
student center. A fee collected under this section is in addition
to any other use or service fee authorized to be imposed [levied].
(c) The student fee advisory committee annually shall
submit to the board of regents a complete and itemized budget for
the student center with a complete report of all student center
activities conducted during the past year and all expenditures made
in connection with those activities. The board of regents may make
changes in the budget that the board determines are necessary.
After approving the budget, the board of regents, in accordance
with this section, may impose [levy] the student center fees for
that year in amounts sufficient to meet the budgetary needs of the
student center.
(d) The board may not increase the amount of the student
center fee [by more than 10 percent] in any academic year unless the
amount of the increase is approved by a majority of the students
voting in an election held for that purpose or by a majority of the
student government of the institution.
(e) A fee imposed [levied] under this section may not be
considered in determining the maximum student services fee that may
be charged under Section 54.503(b).
(f) The fee may not be charged after the fifth academic year
in which the fee is first charged unless, before the end of that
academic year, the university has issued bonds payable in whole or
in part from the fee, in which event the fee may not be charged after
the academic year in which all such bonds, including refunding
bonds for those bonds, have been fully paid.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies
beginning with student fees charged by a public institution of
higher education for the 2009-2010 academic year. Student fees
charged by a public institution of higher education for an academic
year before that academic year are covered by the law in effect
before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2954 was passed by the House on May 7,
2009, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 2, 1 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 2954 on May 29, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0,
2 present, not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2954 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 23, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor