HBA-LJP H.B. 462 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 462
By: Crownover
Higher Education
2/25/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, the board of regents of the University of North Texas
(board) is authorized to charge enrolled students no more than $25 a
semester for the medical services fee.  Since the fall semester of 1997,
the board has been charging enrolled students the maximum $25 a semester
which may be no longer sufficient and the board has requested legislation
to raise the maximum medical services fee to provide adequate medical
services to enrolled students.  House Bill 462 authorizes the board to
raise the maximum medical services fee and provides provisions for any
further rise in the fee. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 462 amends the Education Code to raise the maximum medical
services fee the board of regents of the University of North Texas (board)
is authorized to charge each student registered at the university. The bill
authorizes the board to raise the maximum fee from $25 to $75 for each
semester of the regular term or 12-week summer session, and from $12.50 to
$37.50 for each six-week or shorter term of the summer session. 

The bill prohibits the board from increasing the medical services fee by
more than 10 percent from one academic year to the next, unless a majority
of the students at the university approve the amount of the increase in a
general election held at the university for that purpose. 

The bill also prohibits the board from increasing the amount of the medical
services fee to more than $30 for the fall semester of 2001. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary  vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning with the fall
semester 2001.