By: Clardy (Senate Sponsor - Nichols) H.B. No. 671
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 20, 2015;
May 5, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
Education; May 13, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 6, Nays 1; May 13, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to an intercollegiate athletics fee at Stephen F. Austin
State University; authorizing imposition of a fee.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 54.5202 to read as follows:
Sec. 54.5202. INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEE; STEPHEN F.
AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY. (a) The board of regents of Stephen F.
Austin State University may charge each student enrolled at the
university an intercollegiate athletics fee in an initial amount
not to exceed $10 per semester credit hour for each semester or
summer session. The amount of the fee may be increased only as
provided by Subsection (f).
(b) The board of regents may prorate the amount of the fee
for a summer session.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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.
(f) The amount of the fee per semester credit hour may be
increased from one academic year to the next only if approved by a
majority vote of the students participating in a general student
election held for that purpose or, if the amount of the increase
does not exceed five percent, by a majority vote of the legislative
body of the student government of the university.
(g) 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.
(h) 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.
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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