H.B. No. 2853 amends Section 54.535(a) of the Education Code to allow the board of regents of The University of Texas System to levy a student union fee specifically for financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, and improving the student union building at The University of Texas at El Paso. The bill removes previous fee caps of $30 per student for regular semesters and $15 for summer sessions, replacing them with a provision that the fee may not be increased by more than 10 percent over the amount levied in the preceding academic year without majority approval from students enrolled at the university through a general student election.

The bill also clarifies that the newly imposed fee is in addition to any other fees the board is authorized to impose. The changes will take effect starting with student union fees collected for the spring semester of 2026, and the act itself will become effective on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 54.535 (Education Code 54)
House Committee Report: Education Code 54.535 (Education Code 54)
Engrossed: Education Code 54.535 (Education Code 54)
Senate Committee Report: Education Code 54.535 (Education Code 54)
Enrolled: Education Code 54.535 (Education Code 54)