Bill Text: TX HB1558 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the authority of a municipality to regulate churches that provide overnight shelter for children.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-16 - Effective on 9/1/15 [HB1558 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB1558-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 1558 | ||
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| relating to the authority of a municipality to regulate churches | ||
| that provide overnight shelter for children. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 215, Local Government | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Section 215.006 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 215.006. CHURCH PROVIDING OVERNIGHT SHELTER. (a) In | ||
| this section: | ||
| (1) "Church" means a facility that is owned by a | ||
| religious organization and that is used primarily for religious | ||
| services. | ||
| (2) "Religious organization" means an organization | ||
| that meets the standards for qualification as a religious | ||
| organization under Section 11.20, Tax Code. | ||
| (b) A municipality may not adopt an ordinance, or enforce | ||
| an existing ordinance, that prohibits a church from providing | ||
| overnight shelter for children 17 years of age and younger. | ||
| (c) A municipal ordinance or regulation that relates to the | ||
| safe and sanitary operation of a homeless shelter for children | ||
| applies to a church that provides overnight shelter for children. | ||
| (d) A municipality may adopt or enforce an ordinance | ||
| establishing limits on the number of nights a child may use an | ||
| overnight shelter provided by a church or on the number of children | ||
| that can be housed in the shelter per night. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 1558 was passed by the House on May 5, | ||
| 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 3, 2 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 1558 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 22, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
