By Chisum                                             H.B. No. 1580
       74R5109 JD-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of real property
    1-3  owned by certain organizations chartered by the Congress of the
    1-4  Republic of Texas.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Section 11.23, Tax Code, is amended by adding
    1-7  Subsection (l) to read as follows:
    1-8        (l)  Organization chartered by Congress of the Republic of
    1-9  Texas.  An organization chartered by the Congress of the Republic
   1-10  of Texas that has been in continuous existence since the date it
   1-11  was chartered is entitled to an exemption from taxation of the real
   1-12  property owned by the organization if:
   1-13              (1)  the organization is organized to perform and does
   1-14  perform charitable, benevolent, or public service activities; and
   1-15              (2)  the property is used primarily for the charitable,
   1-16  benevolent, or public service activities of the organization and
   1-17  not for the primary purpose of producing a profit.
   1-18        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect January 1, 1996, but only
   1-19  if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 74th Legislature,
   1-20  Regular  Session, 1995, relating to the exemption from ad valorem
   1-21  taxation of certain property owned by certain organizations
   1-22  chartered by the Congress of the Republic of Texas is approved by
   1-23  the voters.  If that amendment is not approved by the voters, this
   1-24  Act has no effect.
    2-1        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-2  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-3  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-4  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-5  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.