Sec. 54.5241.  STUDENT UNION FEES;  TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.  (a)  The board of regents of the Texas Tech University System may impose a fee in a fixed amount on each student enrolled in a component institution of the Texas Tech University System for the purpose of providing revenue for financing, operating, maintaining, improving, and equipping student union facilities or for acquiring or constructing additions to those facilities.
(b)  The board of regents may change the amount of the fee imposed at an institution as necessary to provide sufficient funds for the student union but may not increase the amount of the fee by more than 10 percent unless the amount of the increase is approved by:
(1)  a majority of the students of the institution voting in a general student election held for that purpose;  or
(2)  a majority vote of the legislative body of the student government of the institution.
(c)  The board of regents may prorate the amount of the fee imposed at an institution based on the length of the semester or term for which a student enrolls.
(d)  The fiscal officer of each institution shall collect the fees imposed under this section at the institution and shall credit the money received from the fees to an account known as the student union account.  The money in the account may be used only for the purposes provided by Subsection (a) and shall be placed under the control of and subject to the order of the advisory board of the institution's student union.  The advisory board shall annually submit a complete and itemized budget accompanied by a full and complete report of all activities conducted during the year and all expenditures made in connection with those activities.  The board of regents shall make the changes in the budget as the board of regents considers necessary before approving the budget and shall impose the fees in an amount sufficient to meet the budgetary needs of the student union, subject to Subsection (b).
(e)  The board of regents may pledge the fees imposed under this section to pay obligations issued for authorized purposes pursuant to the revenue financing system of the Texas Tech University System.
(f)  Student union fees imposed under this section are in addition to any other fee the board of regents is authorized by law to impose and may not be considered in determining the maximum student services fee that may be imposed under Section 54.503(b).
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 945, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.