HBA-MPM C.S.S.B. 562 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 562
By: Duncan
Higher Education
4/30/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law regulates student fees charged by Texas Tech University.  The
maintenance, operation and improvement of the Texas Tech University Center
is funded through a student fee, which is legislatively capped at $50 for
each regular semester and $25 for each summer session. C.S.S.B. 562
authorizes this fee to be increased to the amount stated on a ballot
proposition in a student election, if so approved by the students in this
election.  This bill also sets the maximum amount of this fee at $100 per
semester or term. 

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 54.524(a), Education Code, to authorize the
maximum amount of a regular fixed student fee that may be charged at the
university to be increased to the amount stated on a ballot proposition, if
approved by a majority vote of those students participating in the
election. Prohibits the maximum amount of the fee from exceeding $100 for
each semester or term.  Provides that approval of the fee increase in the
maximum amount that may be charged does not affect the application of this
subsection to an increase in the amount of the fee actually charged from
one academic year to the next.  Makes a nonsubstantive change. 

SECTION 2.  Makes this Act applicable beginning with the fall semester of
1999. 

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

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 562 differs from the original in SECTION 1 by modifying the
proposed changes in Section 52.524(a), Education Code, to reinstate the
language of the codified subsection, which caps the regular fixed student
fee at $50 per student for each semester of the long session and $25 per
student for each term of the summer session, or any fraction thereof, for
the sole purpose of operating, maintaining, and improving the University
Center.  The original bill proposed to cap these fees at $75 and $25,
respectively.   

The substitute also adds additional language to this subsection which
authorizes the maximum amount of a regular fixed student fee that may be
charged at the university to be increased to the amount stated on a ballot
proposition, if approved by a majority vote of those students participating
in the election.  Prohibits the maximum amount of the fee from exceeding
$100 for each semester or term.  Provides that approval of the fee increase
in the maximum amount that may be charged does not affect the application
of this subsection to an increase in the amount of the fee actually charged
from one academic year to the next.  Makes a nonsubstantive change.