Chapter 773 Oregon Laws 1999

Session Law

AN ACT

HB 2732

Relating to taxation; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 307.130.

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

SECTION 1. ORS 307.130 is amended to read:

307.130. (1) Upon compliance with ORS 307.162, the following property owned or being purchased by art museums, volunteer fire departments, or incorporated literary, benevolent, charitable and scientific institutions shall be exempt from taxation:

(a) Except as provided in ORS 748.414, only such real or personal property, or proportion thereof, as is actually and exclusively occupied or used in the literary, benevolent, charitable or scientific work carried on by such institutions.

(b) Parking lots used for parking or any other use as long as that parking or other use is permitted without charge for no fewer than 355 days during the tax year.

(c) All real or personal property of a rehabilitation facility or any retail outlet thereof, including inventory. As used in this subsection, "rehabilitation facility" means either those facilities defined in ORS 344.710 or facilities which provide physically, mentally or emotionally disabled individuals with occupational rehabilitation activities of an educational or therapeutic nature, even if remuneration is received by the individual.

(d) All real and personal property of a retail store dealing exclusively in donated inventory, where the inventory is distributed without cost as part of a welfare program or where the proceeds of the sale of any inventory sold to the general public are used to support a welfare program. As used in this subsection, "welfare program" means the providing of food, shelter, clothing or health care, including dental service, to needy persons without charge.

(e) All real and personal property of a retail store if:

(A) The retail store deals primarily and on a regular basis in donated and consigned inventory;

(B) The individuals who operate the retail store are all individuals who work as volunteers; and

(C) The inventory is either distributed without charge as part of a welfare program, or sold to the general public and the sales proceeds used exclusively to support a welfare program. As used in this paragraph, "primarily" means at least one-half of the inventory.

(f) The real and personal property of an art museum that is used in conjunction with the public display of works of art or used to educate the public about art, but not including any portion of the art museum's real or personal property that is used to sell, or hold out for sale, works of art, reproductions of works of art or other items to be sold to the public.

(g) All real and personal property of a volunteer fire department that is used in conjunction with services and activities for providing fire protection to all residents within a fire response area.

(2) An art museum or institution shall not be deprived of an exemption under this section solely because its primary source of funding is from one or more governmental entities.

(3) An institution shall not be deprived of an exemption under this section because its purpose or the use of its property is not limited to relieving pain, alleviating disease or removing constraints.

(4) As used in this section:

(a) "Art museum" means a nonprofit corporation organized to display works of art to the public.

(b) "Internal Revenue Code" means the federal Internal Revenue Code as amended and in effect on December 31, 1996.

(A) Is organized not for profit, pursuant to ORS chapter 65 or any predecessor of ORS chapter 65; or

(B) Is organized and operated as described under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(d) "Volunteer fire department" means a nonprofit corporation organized to provide fire protection services in a specific response area.

SECTION 2. The amendments to ORS 307.130 by section 1 of this 1999 Act apply to tax years beginning on or after July 1, 2000.

Approved by the Governor July 19, 1999

Filed in the office of Secretary of State July 19, 1999

Effective date October 23, 1999

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