S.B. No. 473
AN ACT
relating to an intercollegiate athletics fee at the University of
North Texas.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 54.5191 to read as follows:
Sec. 54.5191. INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEE; UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH TEXAS. (a) The board of regents of the University of North
Texas System may charge each student enrolled at the University of
North Texas an intercollegiate athletics fee in an amount not to
exceed $10 per semester credit hour for each semester or summer
session.
(b) A student enrolled in more than 15 semester credit hours
shall pay the fee in an amount equal to the amount imposed on a
student enrolled in 15 semester credit hours during the same
semester or session.
(c) The fee may not be charged before the first semester a
new football stadium is available for use at the university.
(d) If compulsory student services fees are charged to
students enrolled at the university under Section 54.503, the total
amount of those fees charged to a student shall be reduced by $3 per
semester credit hour for the first semester in which an
intercollegiate athletics fee is charged under this section.
(e) Revenue from the fee charged under this section may be
used only for financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, or
improving an athletic facility or for operating an intercollegiate
athletics program at the university.
(f) The fee may not be charged unless approved by a majority
vote of the students enrolled at the university who participate in a
general student election held for that purpose. The ballot for the
election to approve the fee must state a maximum amount of the fee
that may be charged per semester credit hour, not to exceed the
maximum amount prescribed by Subsection (a).
(g) The amount of the fee may not be increased to an amount
that exceeds by 10 percent or more the amount of the fee as last
approved by a student vote under Subsection (f) or this subsection
unless the increase has been approved by a majority vote of the
students enrolled at the university who participate in a general
student election held for that purpose.
(h) The chief fiscal officer of the university shall collect
the fee and shall deposit the revenue from the fee in an account to
be known as the intercollegiate athletics fee account.
(i) A fee charged under this section is not considered in
determining the maximum amount of student services fees that may be
charged each student enrolled at the university under Section
54.503.
(j) 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 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. 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 hereby certify that S.B. No. 473 passed the Senate on
April 22, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 473 passed the House on
May 12, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 149, Nays 0, one
present not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
______________________________
Date
______________________________
Governor