S.B. No. 1654
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of real property
    1-2  owned by certain organizations chartered by the Congress of the
    1-3  Republic of Texas.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 11.23, Tax Code, is amended by adding
    1-6  Subsection (l) to read as follows:
    1-7        (l)  Organization Chartered by Congress of the Republic of
    1-8  Texas.  An organization chartered by the Congress of the Republic
    1-9  of Texas that has been in continuous existence since the date it
   1-10  was chartered is entitled to an exemption from taxation of the real
   1-11  property owned by the organization if:
   1-12              (1)  the organization is organized to perform and does
   1-13  perform charitable, benevolent, or public service activities; and
   1-14              (2)  the property is used primarily for the charitable,
   1-15  benevolent, or public service activities of the organization and
   1-16  not for the primary purpose of producing a profit.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect January 1, 1996, but only
   1-18  if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 74th Legislature,
   1-19  Regular Session, 1995, relating to the exemption from ad valorem
   1-20  taxation of certain property owned by certain organizations
   1-21  chartered by the Congress of the Republic of Texas is approved by
   1-22  the voters.  If that amendment is not approved by the voters, this
   1-23  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.