HOUSE BILL No. 6217

June 20, 2006, Introduced by Rep. Green and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 1893 PA 206, entitled

 

"The general property tax act,"

 

by amending section 7o (MCL 211.7o), as amended by 2004 PA 576.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 7o. (1) Real or personal property owned and occupied by a

 

nonprofit charitable institution while occupied by that nonprofit

 

charitable institution solely for the purposes for which it was

 

incorporated is exempt from the collection of taxes under this act.

 

     (2) Real or personal property owned and occupied by a

 

charitable trust while occupied by that charitable trust solely for

 

the charitable purposes for which that charitable trust was

 

established is exempt from the collection of taxes under this act.

 

     (3) Real or personal property of a resale thrift shop

 


registered as a nonprofit corporation that is owned and operated by

 

a nonpublic school for the charitable purpose of benefiting the

 

students enrolled in that nonpublic school is exempt from the

 

collection of taxes under this act. As used in this subsection,

 

"nonpublic school" means that term as defined in section 5 of the

 

revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5.

 

     (4)  (3)  Real or personal property owned by a nonprofit

 

charitable institution or charitable trust that is leased, loaned,

 

or otherwise made available to another nonprofit charitable

 

institution or charitable trust or to a nonprofit hospital or a

 

nonprofit educational institution that is occupied by that

 

nonprofit charitable institution, charitable trust, nonprofit

 

hospital, or nonprofit educational institution solely for the

 

purposes for which that nonprofit charitable institution,

 

charitable trust, nonprofit hospital, or nonprofit educational

 

institution was organized or established and that would be exempt

 

from taxes collected under this act if the real or personal

 

property were occupied by the lessor nonprofit charitable

 

institution or charitable trust solely for the purposes for which

 

the lessor charitable nonprofit institution was organized or the

 

charitable trust was established is exempt from the collection of

 

taxes under this act.

 

     (5) Real or personal property owned by a nonprofit charitable

 

institution or charitable trust that is leased, loaned, or

 

otherwise made available to a resale thrift shop that is registered

 

as a nonprofit corporation and is owned and operated by a nonpublic

 

school for the purpose of benefiting the students enrolled in that

 


nonpublic school, that is occupied or utilized by that resale

 

thrift shop solely for the purposes for which that resale thrift

 

shop was organized or established, and that would be exempt from

 

taxes collected under act if the real or personal property were

 

occupied or utilized by the lessor nonprofit charitable institution

 

or charitable trust solely for the purposes for which the lessor

 

charitable nonprofit institution was organized or the charitable

 

trust was established is exempt from the collection of taxes under

 

this act.

 

     (6)  (4)  For taxes levied after December 31, 1997, real or

 

personal property owned by a nonprofit charitable institution or

 

charitable trust that is leased, loaned, or otherwise made

 

available to a governmental entity is exempt from the collection of

 

taxes under this act if all of the following conditions are

 

satisfied:

 

     (a) The real or personal property would be exempt from the

 

collection of taxes under this act under section 7m if the real or

 

personal property were owned or were being acquired pursuant to an

 

installment purchase agreement by the lessee governmental entity.

 

     (b) The real or personal property would be exempt from the

 

collection of taxes under this act if occupied by the lessor

 

nonprofit charitable institution or charitable trust solely for the

 

purposes for which the lessor charitable nonprofit institution was

 

organized or the charitable trust was established.

 

     (7)  (5)  Real property owned by a qualified conservation

 

organization that is held for conservation purposes and that is

 

open to all residents of this state for educational or recreational

 


use, including, but not limited to, low-impact, nondestructive

 

activities such as hiking, bird watching, cross-country skiing, or

 

snowshoeing is exempt from the collection of taxes under this act.

 

As used in this subsection, "qualified conservation organization"

 

means a nonprofit charitable institution or a charitable trust that

 

meets all of the following conditions:

 

     (a) Is organized or established, as reflected in its articles

 

of incorporation or trust documents, for the purpose of acquiring,

 

maintaining, and protecting nature sanctuaries, nature preserves,

 

and natural areas in this state, that predominantly contain natural

 

habitat for fish, wildlife, and plants.

 

     (b) Is required under its articles of incorporation, bylaws,

 

or trust documents to hold in perpetuity property acquired for the

 

purposes described in subdivision (a) unless both of the following

 

conditions are satisfied:

 

     (i) That property is no longer suitable for the purposes

 

described in subdivision (a).

 

     (ii) The sale of the property is approved by a majority vote of

 

the members or trustees.

 

     (c) Its articles of incorporation, bylaws, or trust documents

 

prohibit any officer, shareholder, board member, employee, or

 

trustee or the family member of an officer, shareholder, board

 

member, employee, or trustee from benefiting from the sale of

 

property acquired for the purposes described in subdivision (a).

 

     (8)  (6)  If authorized by a resolution of the local tax

 

collecting unit in which the real or personal property is located,

 

real or personal property owned by a nonprofit charitable

 


institution that is occupied and used by the nonprofit charitable

 

institution's chief executive officer as his or her principal

 

residence as a condition of his or her employment and that is

 

contiguous to real property that contains the nonprofit charitable

 

institution's principal place of business is exempt from the

 

collection of taxes under this act.

 

     (9)  (7)  A charitable home of a fraternal or secret society,

 

or a nonprofit corporation whose stock is wholly owned by a

 

religious or fraternal society that owns and operates facilities

 

for the aged and chronically ill and in which the net income from

 

the operation of the corporation does not inure to the benefit of

 

any person other than the residents, is exempt from the collection

 

of taxes under this act.

 

     (10)  (8)  As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Charitable trust" means a charitable trust registered

 

under the supervision of trustees for charitable purposes act, 1961

 

PA 101, MCL 14.251 to 14.266.

 

     (b) "Governmental entity" means 1 or more of the following:

 

     (i) The federal government or an agency, department, division,

 

bureau, board, commission, council, or authority of the federal

 

government.

 

     (ii) This state or an agency, department, division, bureau,

 

board, commission, council, or authority of this state.

 

     (iii) A county, city, township, village, local or intermediate

 

school district, or municipal corporation.

 

     (iv) A public educational institution, including, but not

 

limited to, a local or intermediate school district, a public

 


school academy, a community college or junior college established

 

pursuant to section 7 of article VIII of the state constitution of

 

1963, or a state 4-year institution of higher education located in

 

this state.

 

     (v) Any other authority or public body created under state

 

law.

 

     (c) "Public school academy" means a public school academy

 

organized under the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1 to

 

380.1852.