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1998 SESSION


CHAPTER 376
An Act to amend and reenact § 15.2-953 of the Code of Virginia, relating to donations to charitable institutions.
[H 677]
Approved April 11, 1998

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 15.2-953 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 15.2-953. Donations to charitable institutions and associations, volunteer and nonprofit organizations, chambers of commerce, etc.

A. Any locality may make appropriations of public funds, of personal property or of any real estate to the Virginia Indigent Health Care Trust Fund and to any charitable institution or association, located within their respective limits or outside their limits if such institution or association provides services to residents of the locality; however, such institution or association shall not be controlled in whole or in part by any church or sectarian society. The words "sectarian society" shall not be construed to mean a nondenominational Young Men's Christian Association or, a nondenominational Young Women's Christian Association or the Salvation Army. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any county or city from making contracts with any sectarian institution for the care of indigent, sick or injured persons.

B. Any locality may make gifts and donations of property, real or personal, or money, to (i) any charitable institution or nonprofit or other organization, providing housing for persons sixty years of age or older, or operating a hospital or nursing home, (ii) any association or other organization furnishing voluntary fire-fighting services, (iii) any nonprofit lifesaving crew or lifesaving organization, or rescue squad, within or outside the boundaries of the locality, or (iv) nonprofit recreational associations or organizations; provided the nonprofit recreational association or organization is not controlled in whole or in part by any church or sectarian society. Donations of property or money to any such charitable, nonprofit or other hospital or nursing home, institution or organization or nonprofit recreational associations or organizations may be made for construction purposes, for operating expenses, or both.

A locality may make like gifts and donations to chambers of commerce which are nonprofit and nonsectarian.

A locality may make like gifts, donations and appropriations of money to industrial development authorities for the purposes of promoting economic development.

A locality may make like gifts and donations to any and all public and private nonprofit organizations and agencies engaged in commemorating historical events.

C. Any locality may by ordinance provide for payment to any volunteer rescue squad that meets the required minimum standards for such volunteer rescue squads set forth in the ordinance, a sum for each rescue call the volunteer rescue squad makes for an automobile accident in which a person has been injured on any of the highways or streets in the locality.

D. Nothing in this section shall be construed to obligate any locality to appropriate funds to any entity. Such charitable contribution shall be voluntary.