1-1  By:  Craddick (Senate Sponsor - Montford)             H.B. No. 2613
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 1995;
    1-3  May 9, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;
    1-4  May 17, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 12,
    1-5  Nays 0; May 17, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of property
    1-9  owned by a religious organization.
   1-10        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-11        SECTION 1.  Section 11.20, Tax Code, is amended by adding
   1-12  Subsection (g) to read as follows:
   1-13        (g)  For purposes of Subsection (a)(5), an incomplete
   1-14  improvement is under physical preparation if the religious
   1-15  organization has engaged in architectural or engineering work, soil
   1-16  testing, land clearing activities, or site improvement work
   1-17  necessary for the construction of the improvement or has conducted
   1-18  an environmental or land use study relating to the construction of
   1-19  the improvement.
   1-20        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-21  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-22  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-23  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-24  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-25  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-26  passage, and it is so enacted.
   1-27                               * * * * *