By: Paul (Senate Sponsor - Taylor of Galveston) H.B. No. 2921
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 4, 2015;
May 13, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
Education; May 21, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 6, Nays 1; May 21, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to authorizing a recreation and wellness facility fee at
the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 54.5401 to read as follows:
Sec. 54.5401. RECREATION AND WELLNESS FACILITY FEE;
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-CLEAR LAKE. (a) The board of regents of the
University of Houston System may charge each student enrolled at
the University of Houston-Clear Lake a recreation and wellness
facility fee. The fee may be used only for the purpose of financing,
constructing, operating, maintaining, improving, and equipping a
recreation and wellness facility and for operating recreation and
wellness programs at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
(b) The recreation and wellness facility fee may not be
charged unless the charging of the fee is approved by a majority
vote of the students enrolled at the university participating in a
general student election held for that purpose.
(c) The amount of a fee charged under this section may not
exceed:
(1) $150 per student for each regular semester;
(2) $75 per student for each summer session of eight
weeks or longer; or
(3) $50 per student for each term of the summer session
of less than eight weeks.
(d) Revenue from a fee charged under this section shall be
deposited to the credit of an account known as the University of
Houston-Clear Lake Recreation and Wellness Facility Fee Account.
(e) The board of regents may increase the amount of a fee
charged under this section, except that the board may not increase
the amount of the fee to an amount that exceeds by more than 10
percent the amount of the fee charged during the preceding academic
year unless the amount of the increase is approved by a majority
vote of students enrolled at the university participating in a
general student election held for that purpose.
(f) The recreation and wellness facility fee is not
considered in determining the maximum amount of student services
fees that may be charged under Section 54.503.
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, 2015.
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