Rules and Judiciary Committee members discussed the need for an increased fee because of inflation, which has decreased the purchasing power of the fee, and the growth of campus activities.
The fee, now $11.50 per semester for undergraduates and $9.50 per semester for graduate students, is used for student organizations.
If the referendum is approved by a majority of students, the fee would be raised to $19.50 for undergraduates and $16.50 for graduate students.
Last year, student government officials proposed a similar referendum that would have increased the fees to $16.50 per semester for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Although a majority of students voted for the referendum, it failed because less than 10 percent of the student body voted in the special election -- the turnout mandated in the Student Code.
Speaker of Student Congress Tony Larson spoke Tuesday at the student State of the University Address about his hopes for passing the referendum this year.
Larson said he was disappointed in the failure of last year's referendum.
"Student organizations are vibrant and active, and they have been accustomed to doing great things with minimal budgets. ... However, we have reached a point where creativity is not enough," he said.
Representatives from student organizations attended the Rules and Judiciary Committee meeting to speak about the need for an increase in the fee.
