(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the board of regents of The University of Texas System may levy a student union fee, not to exceed $30 for each student for each regular semester or $15 for each student for each term of the summer session, for the sole purpose of financing, constructing, operating, maintaining, renovating, and improving student union facilities for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
(b) The board of regents may pledge the fees levied under this section to pay obligations issued pursuant to the revenue financing system of The University of Texas System.

(c) A student union fee levied under this section may not be levied or increased unless the levy or increase is approved by a majority vote of those students participating in a general election held for that purpose.
(d) Student union fees levied under this section are in addition to any other fee the board of regents is authorized by law to charge and may not be considered in determining the maximum student services fee that may be charged under § 54.503(b).
(e) Revenue from the fee collected under Subsection (a) shall be deposited to the credit of an account known as The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley student union fee account.
(f) Notwithstanding § 51.002, student union fees levied under this section are under the control of the Student Union Advisory Committee. The committee annually shall submit to the president of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley a complete and itemized budget with a complete report of all activities conducted during the past year and all expenditures made in connection with those activities. The president shall submit the budget to the board of regents as part of the institutional budget. Before approving the budget, the board of regents may make changes in the budget that the board determines are necessary. After approving the budget, the board, in accordance with this section, may levy the student union fees for that year in amounts sufficient to meet the budgetary needs of the student union facilities.