Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2228 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R7311 KJE-D
2	2	By: Vasut H.B. No. 2228
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to student fees at public institutions of higher
10	10	education.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
13	13	amended by adding Sections 54.5001 and 54.5002 to read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 54.5001. ACADEMIC FEES. (a) In this section,
15	15	"academic fee" means a fee charged to a student that is directly
16	16	related to instruction, curriculum, or research at an institution
17	17	of higher education.
18	18	(b) The governing board of an institution of higher
19	19	education may charge an academic fee at an amount sufficient to
20	20	cover the cost of providing the applicable good or service.
21	21	(c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt
22	22	rules to implement this section.
23	23	Sec. 54.5002. NONACADEMIC FEES. (a) In this section,
24	24	"nonacademic fee" means a fee charged to a student that is not:
25	25	(1) an academic fee as defined by Section 54.5001;
26	26	(2) a special fee described by Section 54.005,
27	27	including a building use fee authorized by the legislature to be
28	28	pledged to finance revenue bond issues; or
29	29	(3) an incidental fee as defined by Section 54.504.
30	30	(b) The governing board of an institution of higher
31	31	education may charge a nonacademic fee only as provided by this
32	32	section.
33	33	(c) For purposes of this section, the governing board of an
34	34	institution of higher education shall establish or recognize a
35	35	student government that:
36	36	(1) has three branches as follows:
37	37	(A) a student body president elected by a
38	38	majority vote of the students enrolled at the institution;
39	39	(B) a student senate or representative assembly
40	40	with at least 21 members organized into districts based on academic
41	41	college, residency, or class year, elected by a majority vote of the
42	42	students enrolled at the institution who belong to those districts;
43	43	and
44	44	(C) a judicial court; or
45	45	(2) is a student senate, representative assembly, or
46	46	council with at least seven members organized into districts based
47	47	on academic college, residency, or class year, elected by a
48	48	majority vote of the students enrolled at the institution who
49	49	belong to those districts.
50	50	(d) The governing board of an institution of higher
51	51	education may propose to impose or change a nonacademic fee to the
52	52	student government described by Subsection (c). The governing
53	53	board shall post on the institution's Internet website any
54	54	materials provided to the student government with respect to the
55	55	proposal.
56	56	(e) A student government that receives a proposal under
57	57	Subsection (d) shall hold an open meeting subject to Chapter 551,
58	58	Government Code, on the proposal. The student government shall
59	59	provide at least seven days' notice of the meeting and must provide
60	60	an opportunity for public testimony at the meeting.
61	61	(f) The governing board of an institution of higher
62	62	education may not impose or change a nonacademic fee unless the
63	63	student government described by Subsection (c) approves the
64	64	imposition or change by:
65	65	(1) for the imposition or increase of a fee, a
66	66	two-thirds majority vote of the student senate, representative
67	67	assembly, or council and, if applicable, signature by the student
68	68	body president or a vote of the student senate, representative
69	69	assembly, or council to override the president's veto as provided
70	70	by the student government's constitution; or
71	71	(2) for the decrease of a fee, a majority vote of the
72	72	student senate, representative assembly, or council and, if
73	73	applicable, signature by the student body president or a vote of the
74	74	student senate, representative assembly, or council to override the
75	75	president's veto as provided by the student government's
76	76	constitution.
77	77	(g) The governing board of an institution of higher
78	78	education may not lobby a student government described by
79	79	Subsection (c) with respect to the imposition or change of a
80	80	nonacademic fee under this section, except that the board may make a
81	81	presentation to the student government at a meeting described by
82	82	Subsection (e). In imposing or changing a nonacademic fee, the
83	83	governing board must certify that the board has complied with this
84	84	subsection.
85	85	(h) A document provided by the governing board of an
86	86	institution of higher education to a student government described
87	87	by Subsection (c), or the agenda, minutes, or resolution or other
88	88	student legislative document of a student government described by
89	89	Subsection (c), relating to the imposition or change of a
90	90	nonacademic fee under this section is subject to Chapter 552,
91	91	Government Code.
92	92	(i) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt
93	93	rules to implement this section.
94	94	SECTION 2. Sections 54.262, 54.501, 54.503, 54.5031,
95	95	54.5032, 54.5033, 54.5041, 54.505, 54.5061, 54.5062, 54.507,
96	96	54.508, 54.5081, 54.5085, 54.5089, 54.50891, 54.509, 54.5091,
97	97	54.510, 54.511, 54.5111, 54.512, 54.5121, 54.5122, 54.513,
98	98	54.5131, 54.5132, 54.5133, 54.5134, 54.5135, 54.514, 54.515,
99	99	54.519, 54.5191, 54.5192, 54.520, 54.5201, 54.5202, 54.521,
100	100	54.522, 54.5221, 54.5222, 54.5223, 54.523, 54.5241, 54.525,
101	101	54.5251, 54.526, 54.527, 54.528, 54.529, 54.530, 54.531, 54.5311,
102	102	54.5312, 54.5313, 54.532, 54.5321, 54.5322, 54.533, 54.5331,
103	103	54.5332, 54.534, 54.5341, 54.5342, 54.5343, 54.535, 54.536,
104	104	54.537, 54.5371, 54.5372, 54.538, 54.5381, 54.5382, 54.539,
105	105	54.5391, 54.5392, 54.5393, 54.5394, 54.5395, 54.5396, 54.5397,
106	106	54.53971, 54.53975, 54.5398, 54.540, 54.5401, 54.5402, 54.5405,
107	107	54.5406, 54.541, 54.542, 54.5421, 54.543, 54.544, 54.545, and
108	108	54.551, Education Code, are repealed.
109	109	SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Subchapter
110	110	E, Chapter 54, Education Code, apply beginning with fees charged by
111	111	a public institution of higher education for the 2026 fall
112	112	semester. Fees charged by a public institution of higher education
113	113	for an academic period before that semester are governed by the law
114	114	in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and
115	115	that former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
116	116	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.