Bill > S1621

Introduced Session

This bill would permit the governing body of a public institution of higher education to allow funds generated from student tuition bills to be distributed to legislative agents or organizations which attempt to influence legislation as waivable fees. Under current law, the governing body of a public institution of higher education is prohibited from allowing funds for legislative agents or organizations which attempt to influence legislation to be assessed on student tuition bills. However, optional fees may be assessed for nonpartisan organizations that employ legislative agents or attempt to influence legislation provided that such a fee has been authorized by a majority vote in a student referendum. An optional fee is an amount payable on a student tuition bill, appearing as a separately assessed item, but not a mandatory charge or a waivable fee. Optional fees that appear on student tuition bills are currently required to be accompanied by a statement as to the nature of the item along with an explanation that the item is not a charge required to be paid by the student, the student may add the charge to the total amount due, and that the item has appeared on the bill at the request of the student body and does not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the governing body of the public institution of higher education. This bill would amend current law to eliminate the optional fee authorizations process and allow funds for legislative agents and organizations that attempt to influence legislation to be assessed on tuition bills as waivable fees. These fees would appear on student tuition bills without prior student referendum but students would have the option to have the fee waived. For purposes of this bill, a waivable fee means any amount payable on a student tuition bill, appearing as a separately assessed item, but not a mandatory charge. The bill requires a waivable fee to be accompanied by a statement as to the nature of the item, that the item is not a charge required to be paid by the student, the process for waiving the fee, and that the presence of the fee does not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the governing body of the public institution of higher education.

Committee Categories

Angela Mcknight (D)*,  Andrew Zwicker (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document