H.B. No. 2961
AN ACT
relating to authorizing an increase in the student union fee at the
University of Houston.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 54.526, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
follows:
(a) The board of regents of the University of Houston System
may levy a student union fee, not to exceed $150 [$35] per student
for each regular semester and not to exceed $75 [$17.50] per student
for each term of the summer session. The sole purpose of the fee is
financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, and improving a
Student Union Building for the University of Houston. The fees
herein authorized to be levied are in addition to any use or service
fee now or hereafter authorized to be levied.
(c) 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. 2961 was passed by the House on May 5,
2009, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2961 was passed by the Senate on May
26, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor