HBA-KMH C.S.H.B. 3571 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3571
By: Haggerty
Higher Education
4/16/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the maximum amount the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) may
charge during regular semesters for student activity fees is $150.
Additionally, students would have to vote for this fee to ever be
increased.  At this time, the University of Texas System (system) may levy
a student union fee of no more than $15.00 for each summer session.  The
university no longer offers two summer sessions of classes. 

C.S.H.B. 3571 authorizes an increase in the total compulsory student
services fees collected from a student attending the University of Texas at
El Paso, if approved by a student referendum to an amount not to exceed
$250.  Additionally, this bill authorizes UTEP to charge $30 for this type
of fee for the one summer session it offers students, as opposed to the $15
for two summer sessions that are no longer offered. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 54.503(b), Education Code, to authorize an
increase in the total compulsory student services fees collected from a
student attending the University of Texas at El Paso if approved by a
student referendum to an amount not to exceed $250.  Provides that approval
of a fee increase under this subsection by referendum does not affect the
application of Subsection (f) (regarding authorization that the governing
board of an institution has to waive all or part of any compulsory fees
under certain conditions) to an increase in the total fees actually charged
from one year to the next. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 54.535(a), Education Code, to include summer
sessions of six weeks or more in the provisions under this section which
authorize a student union fee not to exceed $30 per student to be levied.
Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3571 modifies the original in SECTION 1 (Section 54.503(b),
Education Code) by authorizing a compulsory fee increase for the University
of Texas at El Paso by student referendum. The substitute provides also
that the fee increase does not affect the application of Subsection (f) to
an increase in the total fees actually charged from one year to the next.
Makes a conforming change. 

C.S.H.B. 3571 modifies the original in SECTION 2 to apply Subsection (a) to
a summer session of six weeks, rather than nine, or more. 

C.S.H.B. 3571 modifies the original by deleting SECTIONS 3 and 4 which
created Sections 69.03 (Courses and Degrees) and 69.23 (Gifts and Grants),
Education Code, authorizing the board of  regents for the  University of
Texas System (system) to prescribe certain courses to be offered in the
system and granting the board broad authority to receive gifts and grants. 

Redesignates SECTION 5 of the original to SECTION 3 of the substitute.