A new bill approved by Student Government senate will ensure that funds from Activity and Service fees stay in the rightful hands of students, said senate president, Michael Berman.

The bill, which was approved last week, requires organizations, which are not classified as a division of student services, to seek approval from SG to receive funds.

At the meeting Marianna DeAmbrose, SG senator from the College of Engineering, said she introduced the bill to Student Government to help protect organizations.

DeAmbrose said that she wanted to make sure that funds that were appropriated to organizations outside of student services would still fall under student senate jurisdiction.

Berman said the bill was approved to close a loophole that could be exploited by non-student organizations. Berman said earlier this semester, a non-student organization was given its funds by default.

“We have requirements in the provisionary language that say how funds can be spent by student organizations,” said Berman. “But the loophole comes in the fact that there are no requirements for the non-student organizations who request funding.”

As a result of this bill, organizations will now have to directly request funds from SG for approval, said Berman.

“We will, in effect, be co-sponsoring these organizations through the special projects account that has been established,” Berman said. “The funds that are dispersed to these organizations will be placed in a special project account. Berman said this request was submitted to the Office of Student Affairs.

Berman said that student government tends not to award funds to organizations outside of student affairs.

“Very rarely do we fund anything outside of student affairs,” said Berman. “We have made one allocation outside student affairs.”

Berman said this was a step in the right direction for allocating A&S fees.

“We must make sure that these funds stay where they should be,” Berman said.

Junior Alexander Godwin said the bill is a way of ensuring money is spent properly.

“Knowing that I am forced to pay A&S fees every semester, I’m glad to see my money is not being wasted,” said Godwin.

Berman said the bill will help prevent any funding errors.

“The whole point was to make sure the funds don’t get used the wrong way,” said Berman. “We wanted to make sure (the A&S funds) stay in student areas and don’t go where they shouldn’t be.”