S.B. No. 917

AN ACT

relating to the definition of charitable trust for purposes of court jurisdiction.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subsection (e), Section 5, Texas Probate Code, is amended to read as follows:

(e) A statutory probate court has concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in all personal injury, survival, or wrongful death actions by or against a person in the person's capacity as a personal representative, in all actions by or against a trustee, in all actions involving an inter vivos trust, testamentary trust, or charitable trust, and in all actions involving a personal representative of an estate in which each other party aligned with the personal representative is not an interested person in that estate. For purposes of this section, "charitable trust" includes a charitable trust as defined by Section 123.001, Property Code.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 917 passed the Senate on April 16, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 917 passed the House on May 12, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 149, Nays 0, one present not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

Approved:

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Date

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Governor