H.B. No. 1197

AN ACT

relating to the period for which certain land owned by a religious organization for the purpose of expanding a place of religious worship or constructing a new place of religious worship may be exempted from ad valorem taxation.

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

SECTION 1. Section 11.20(j), Tax Code, is amended to read as follows:

(j) A tract of land that is contiguous to the tract of land on which the religious organization's place of regular religious worship is located may not be exempted under Subsection (a)(6) for more than 10 [six] years. A tract of land that is not contiguous to the tract of land on which the religious organization's place of regular religious worship is located may not be exempted under Subsection (a)(6) for more than three years. For purposes of this subsection, a tract of land is considered to be contiguous with another tract of land if the tracts are divided only by a road, railroad track, river, or stream.

SECTION 2. This Act applies only to ad valorem taxes imposed for a tax year beginning on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2022.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 1197 was passed by the House on April 9, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 1, 2 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 1197 was passed by the Senate on May 17, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________

Date

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Governor