By: Ogden S.B. No. 1515 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of real property 1-2 owned by certain fraternal organizations. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Section 11.23, Tax Code, is amended by adding 1-5 Subsection (l) to read as follows: 1-6 (l) Fraternal Organizations. (a) A fraternal organization 1-7 is entitled to an exemption from taxation of the real property 1-8 owned by the organization if: 1-9 (1) the organization was chartered by the Congress of 1-10 the Republic of Texas; or 1-11 (2) the organization was organized as a fraternal 1-12 benefit society under Article 10.01, Insurance Code. 1-13 (b) A fraternal organization under subsection (a) must have 1-14 as an objective the duty to perform charitable, benevolent, 1-15 fraternal, or public service activities. 1-16 (c) The property of the fraternal organization entitled to 1-17 the exemption must be used primarily for the charitable, 1-18 benevolent, fraternal, or public service activities of the 1-19 organization and not for the primary purpose of producing profit. 1-20 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2000, but only 1-21 if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 76th Legislature, 1-22 Regular Session, 1999, relating to the exemption from ad valorem 2-1 taxation of certain property owned by certain fraternal 2-2 organizations which were chartered by the Congress of the Republic 2-3 of Texas or were organized for the mutual benefit of members and 2-4 their beneficiaries is approved by the voters. If that amendment 2-5 is not approved by the voters, this Act has no effect. 2-6 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-7 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-8 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-9 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-10 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.