Texas 2013 - 83rd Regular

Texas House Bill HB2913 Latest Draft

Bill / House Committee Report Version Filed 02/01/2025

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                            83R21362 TJS-F
 By: Thompson of Harris H.B. No. 2913
 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2913:
 By:  Raymond C.S.H.B. No. 2913


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to trusts.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 111.004(12), Property Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (12)  "Property" means any type of property, whether
 real, tangible or intangible, legal, or equitable, including
 property held in any digital or electronic medium. The term also
 includes choses in action, claims, and contract rights, including a
 contractual right to receive death benefits as designated
 beneficiary under a policy of insurance, contract, employees'
 trust, retirement account, or other arrangement.
 SECTION 2.  Section 112.035, Property Code, is amended by
 amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (g) and (h) to read
 as follows:
 (d)  If the settlor is also a beneficiary of the trust, a
 provision restraining the voluntary or involuntary transfer of the
 settlor's beneficial interest does not prevent the settlor's
 creditors from satisfying claims from the settlor's interest in the
 trust estate.  A settlor is not considered a beneficiary of a trust
 solely because:
 (1)  a trustee who is not the settlor is authorized
 under the trust instrument to pay or reimburse the settlor for, or
 pay directly to the taxing authorities, any tax on trust income or
 principal that is payable by the settlor under the law imposing the
 tax; or
 (2)  the settlor's interest in the trust was created by
 the exercise of a power of appointment by a third party.
 (g)  For the purposes of this section, property contributed
 to the following trusts is not considered to have been contributed
 by the settlor, and a person who would otherwise be treated as a
 settlor or a deemed settlor of the following trusts may not be
 treated as a settlor:
 (1)  an irrevocable inter vivos marital trust if:
 (A)  the settlor is a beneficiary of the trust
 after the death of the settlor's spouse; and
 (B)  the trust is treated as:
 (i)  qualified terminable interest property
 under Section 2523(f), Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or
 (ii)  a general power of appointment trust
 under Section 2523(e), Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
 (2)  an irrevocable inter vivos trust for the settlor's
 spouse if the settlor is a beneficiary of the trust after the death
 of the settlor's spouse; or
 (3)  an irrevocable trust for the benefit of a person:
 (A)  if the settlor is the person's spouse,
 regardless of whether or when the person was the settlor of an
 irrevocable trust for the benefit of that spouse; or
 (B)  to the extent that the property of the trust
 was subject to a general power of appointment in another person.
 (h)  For the purposes of Subsection (g), a person is a
 beneficiary whether named a beneficiary:
 (1)  under the initial trust instrument; or
 (2)  through the exercise of a limited or general power
 of appointment by:
 (A)  that person's spouse; or
 (B)  another person.
 SECTION 3.  Chapter 112, Property Code, is amended by adding
 Subchapter D to read as follows:
 SUBCHAPTER D. DISTRIBUTION OF TRUST PRINCIPAL IN FURTHER TRUST
 Sec. 112.071.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
 (1)  "Authorized trustee" means a person, other than
 the settlor, who has authority under the terms of a first trust to
 distribute the principal of the trust to or for the benefit of one
 or more current beneficiaries.
 (2)  "Charity" means a charitable entity or a
 charitable trust, as those terms are defined by Section 123.001.
 (3)  "Current beneficiary," with respect to a
 particular date, means a person who is receiving or is eligible to
 receive a distribution of income or principal from a trust on that
 date.
 (4)  "First trust" means an existing irrevocable inter
 vivos or testamentary trust all or part of the principal of which is
 distributed in further trust under Section 112.072 or 112.073.
 (5)  "Full discretion" means the power to distribute
 principal to or for the benefit of one or more of the beneficiaries
 of a trust that is not limited or modified by the terms of the trust
 in any way, including by restrictions that limit distributions to
 purposes such as the best interests, welfare, or happiness of the
 beneficiaries.
 (6)  "Limited discretion" means a limited or modified
 power to distribute principal to or for the benefit of one or more
 beneficiaries of a trust.
 (7)  "Presumptive remainder beneficiary," with respect
 to a particular date, means a beneficiary of a trust on that date
 who, in the absence of notice to the trustee of the exercise of the
 power of appointment and assuming that any other powers of
 appointment under the trust are not exercised, would be eligible to
 receive a distribution from the trust if:
 (A)  the trust terminated on that date; or
 (B)  the interests of all beneficiaries currently
 eligible to receive income or principal from the trust ended on that
 date without causing the trust to terminate.
 (8)  "Principal" means property held in trust for
 distribution to a remainder beneficiary when the trust terminates
 and includes income of the trust that, at the time of the exercise
 of a power of distribution under Section 112.072 or 112.073, is not
 currently required to be distributed.
 (9)  "Second trust" means any irrevocable trust to
 which principal is distributed under Section 112.072 or 112.073.
 (10)  "Successor beneficiary" means a beneficiary
 other than a current or presumptive remainder beneficiary.  The
 term does not include a potential appointee under a power of
 appointment held by a beneficiary.
 Sec. 112.072.  DISTRIBUTION TO SECOND TRUST: TRUSTEE WITH
 FULL DISCRETION. (a) An authorized trustee who has the full
 discretion to distribute the principal of a trust may distribute
 all or part of the principal of that trust in favor of a trustee of a
 second trust for the benefit of one or more current beneficiaries of
 the first trust who are eligible to receive income or principal from
 the trust and for the benefit of one or more successor or
 presumptive remainder beneficiaries of the first trust who are
 eligible to receive income or principal from the trust.
 (b)  The authorized trustee may, in connection with the
 exercise of a power of distribution under this section, grant a
 power of appointment, including a currently exercisable power of
 appointment, in the second trust to one or more of the current
 beneficiaries of the first trust who, at the time the power of
 appointment is granted, is eligible to receive the principal
 outright under the terms of the first trust.
 (c)  If the authorized trustee grants a power of appointment
 to a beneficiary under Subsection (b), the class of permissible
 appointees in whose favor the beneficiary may appoint under that
 power may be broader or different than the current, successor, and
 presumptive remainder beneficiaries of the first trust.
 (d)  If the beneficiaries of the first trust are described as
 a class of persons, the beneficiaries of the second trust may
 include one or more persons who become members of that class after
 the distribution to the second trust.
 (e)  The authorized trustee shall exercise a power to
 distribute under this section in good faith, in accordance with the
 terms and purposes of the trust, and in the interests of the
 beneficiaries.
 Sec. 112.073.  DISTRIBUTION TO SECOND TRUST: TRUSTEE WITH
 LIMITED DISCRETION. (a) An authorized trustee who has limited
 discretion to distribute the principal of a trust may distribute
 all or part of the principal of that trust in favor of a trustee of a
 second trust as provided by this section.
 (b)  The current beneficiaries of the second trust must be
 the same as the current beneficiaries of the first trust, and the
 successor and presumptive remainder beneficiaries of the second
 trust must be the same as the successor and presumptive remainder
 beneficiaries of the first trust.
 (c)  The second trust must include the same language
 authorizing the trustee to distribute the income or principal of
 the trust that was included in the first trust.
 (d)  If the beneficiaries of the first trust are described as
 a class of persons, the beneficiaries of the second trust must
 include all persons who become members of that class after the
 distribution to the second trust.
 (e)  If the first trust grants a power of appointment to a
 beneficiary of the trust, the second trust must grant the power of
 appointment to the beneficiary in the second trust, and the class of
 permissible appointees under that power must be the same as the
 class of permissible appointees under the power granted by the
 first trust.
 (f)  The authorized trustee shall exercise a power of
 distribution under this section in good faith, in accordance with
 the terms and purposes of the trust, and in the interests of the
 beneficiaries.
 Sec. 112.074.  NOTICE REQUIRED. (a)  An authorized trustee
 may exercise a power of distribution under Section 112.072 or
 112.073 without the consent of the settlor or beneficiaries of the
 first trust and without court approval if the trustee provides to
 all of the current beneficiaries and presumptive remainder
 beneficiaries written notice of the trustee's decision to exercise
 the power.
 (b)  For the purpose of determining who is a current
 beneficiary or presumptive remainder beneficiary entitled to the
 notice, a beneficiary is determined as of the date the notice is
 sent.  A beneficiary includes a person entitled to receive property
 under the terms of the first trust.
 (c)  In addition to the notice required under Subsection (a),
 the authorized trustee shall give written notice of the trustee's
 decision to the attorney general if:
 (1)  a charity is entitled to notice;
 (2)  a charity entitled to notice is no longer in
 existence;
 (3)  the trustee has the authority to distribute trust
 assets to one or more charities that are not named in the trust
 instrument; or
 (4)  the trustee has the authority to make
 distributions for a charitable purpose described in the trust
 instrument, but no charity is named as a beneficiary for that
 purpose.
 (d)  If the beneficiary has a court-appointed guardian or
 conservator, the notice required to be given by this section must be
 given to that guardian or conservator.  If the beneficiary is a
 minor for whom no guardian or conservator has been appointed, the
 notice required to be given by this section must be given to a
 parent of the minor.
 (e)  The authorized trustee is not required to provide the
 notice to a beneficiary who:
 (1)  is known to the trustee and cannot be located by
 the trustee after reasonable diligence;
 (2)  is not known to the trustee;
 (3)  waives the requirement of the notice under this
 section; or
 (4)  is a descendant of a beneficiary to whom the
 trustee has given notice if the beneficiary and the beneficiary's
 ancestor have similar interests in the trust and no apparent
 conflict of interest exists between them.
 (f)  The notice required under Subsection (a) must:
 (1)  include a statement that:
 (A)  the authorized trustee intends to exercise
 the power of distribution;
 (B)  the beneficiary has the right to object to
 the exercise of the power; and
 (C)  the beneficiary may petition a court to
 approve, modify, or deny the exercise of the trustee's power to make
 a distribution under this subchapter;
 (2)  describe the manner in which the trustee intends
 to exercise the power;
 (3)  specify the date the trustee proposes to
 distribute the first trust to the second trust;
 (4)  include the name and mailing address of the
 trustee;
 (5)  include copies of the agreements of the first
 trust and the proposed second trust;
 (6)  be given not later than the 30th day before the
 proposed date of distribution to the second trust; and
 (7)  be sent by registered or certified mail, return
 receipt requested, or delivered in person, unless the notice is
 waived in writing by the person to whom notice is required to be
 given.
 Sec. 112.075.  WRITTEN INSTRUMENT REQUIRED. A distribution
 under Section 112.072 or 112.073 must be made by a written
 instrument that is signed and acknowledged by the authorized
 trustee and filed with the records of the first trust and the second
 trust.
 Sec. 112.076.  REFERENCE TO TRUST TERMS. A reference to the
 governing instrument or terms of the governing instrument of a
 trust includes the terms of a second trust to which that trust's
 principal was distributed under this subchapter.
 Sec. 112.077.  SETTLOR OF SECOND TRUST. (a)  Except as
 provided by Subsection (b), the settlor of a first trust is
 considered to be the settlor of a second trust established under
 this subchapter.
 (b)  If a settlor of a first trust is not also the settlor of
 a second trust into which principal of that first trust is
 distributed, the settlor of the first trust is considered the
 settlor of the portion of the second trust distributed to the second
 trust from that first trust under this subchapter.
 Sec. 112.078.  COURT-ORDERED DISTRIBUTION. (a)  An
 authorized trustee may petition a court to order a distribution
 under this subchapter.
 (b)  If the authorized trustee receives a written objection
 to a distribution under this subchapter from a beneficiary before
 the proposed effective date of the distribution specified in the
 notice provided to the beneficiary under Section 112.074, the
 trustee or the beneficiary may petition a court to approve, modify,
 or deny the exercise of the trustee's power to make a distribution
 under this subchapter.
 (c)  If the authorized trustee receives a written objection
 to the distribution from the attorney general not later than the
 30th day after the date the notice required by Section 112.074 was
 received by the attorney general, the trustee may not make a
 distribution under Section 112.072 or 112.073 without petitioning a
 court to approve or modify the exercise of the trustee's power to
 make a distribution under this subchapter.
 (d)  In a judicial proceeding under this section, the
 authorized trustee may present the trustee's reasons for supporting
 or opposing a proposed distribution, including whether the trustee
 believes the distribution would enable the trustee to better carry
 out the purposes of the trust.
 (e)  The authorized trustee has the burden of proving that
 the proposed distribution furthers the purposes of the trust, is in
 accordance with the terms of the trust, and is in the interests of
 the beneficiaries.
 Sec. 112.079.  DIVIDED DISCRETION. If an authorized trustee
 has full discretion to distribute the principal of a trust and
 another trustee has limited discretion to distribute principal
 under the trust instrument, the authorized trustee having full
 discretion may exercise the power to distribute the trust's
 principal under Section 112.072.
 Sec. 112.080.  LATER DISCOVERED ASSETS. To the extent the
 authorized trustee does not provide otherwise:
 (1)  the distribution of all of the principal of a first
 trust to a second trust includes subsequently discovered assets
 otherwise belonging to the first trust and principal paid to or
 acquired by the first trust after the distribution of the first
 trust's principal to the second trust; and
 (2)  the distribution of part of the principal of a
 first trust to a second trust does not include subsequently
 discovered assets belonging to the first trust or principal paid to
 or acquired by the first trust after the distribution of principal
 from the first trust to the second trust, and those assets or that
 principal remain the assets or principal of the first trust.
 Sec. 112.081.  OTHER AUTHORITY TO DISTRIBUTE IN FURTHER
 TRUST NOT LIMITED. This subchapter may not be construed to limit
 the power of an authorized trustee to distribute property in
 further trust under the terms of the governing instrument of a
 trust, other law, or a court order.
 Sec. 112.082.  NEED FOR DISTRIBUTION NOT REQUIRED. An
 authorized trustee may exercise the power to distribute principal
 to a second trust under Section 112.072 or 112.073 regardless of
 whether there is a current need to distribute principal under the
 terms of the first trust.
 Sec. 112.083.  DUTIES NOT CREATED.  (a)  This subchapter does
 not create or imply a duty for an authorized trustee to exercise a
 power to distribute principal, and impropriety may not be inferred
 as a result of the trustee not exercising a power conferred by
 Section 112.072 or 112.073.
 (b)  An authorized trustee does not have a duty to inform
 beneficiaries about the availability of the authority provided by
 this subchapter or a duty to review the trust to determine whether
 any action should be taken under this subchapter.
 Sec. 112.084.  CERTAIN DISTRIBUTIONS PROHIBITED. (a)
 Except as provided by Subsection (b), an authorized trustee may not
 exercise a power to distribute principal of a trust otherwise
 provided by Section 112.072 or 112.073 if the distribution is
 expressly prohibited by the terms of the governing instrument of
 the trust.
 (b)  A general prohibition of the amendment or revocation of
 a trust or a provision that constitutes a spendthrift clause does
 not preclude the exercise of a power to distribute principal of a
 trust under Section 112.072 or 112.073.
 Sec. 112.085.  EXCEPTIONS TO POWER OF DISTRIBUTION.  An
 authorized trustee may not exercise a power to distribute principal
 of a trust under Section 112.072 or 112.073 to:
 (1)  reduce, limit, or modify a beneficiary's current,
 vested right to:
 (A)  receive a mandatory distribution of income or
 principal;
 (B)  receive a mandatory annuity or unitrust
 interest;
 (C)  withdraw a percentage of the value of the
 trust; or
 (D)  withdraw a specified dollar amount from the
 trust;
 (2)  materially impair the rights of any beneficiary of
 the trust;
 (3)  materially limit a trustee's fiduciary duty under
 the trust or as described by Section 111.0035;
 (4)  decrease or indemnify against a trustee's
 liability or exonerate a trustee from liability for failure to
 exercise reasonable care, diligence, and prudence;
 (5)  eliminate a provision granting another person the
 right to remove or replace the authorized trustee exercising the
 distribution power under Section 112.072 or 112.073; or
 (6)  reduce, limit, or modify in the second trust a
 perpetuities provision included in the first trust, unless
 expressly permitted by the terms of the first trust.
 Sec. 112.086.  TAX-RELATED LIMITATIONS. (a)  The authorized
 trustee may not distribute the principal of a trust under Section
 112.072 or 112.073 in a manner that would prevent a contribution to
 that trust from qualifying for or that would reduce the exclusion,
 deduction, or other federal tax benefit that was originally claimed
 for that contribution, including:
 (1)  the annual exclusion under Section 2503(b),
 Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
 (2)  a marital deduction under Section 2056(a) or
 2523(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
 (3)  the charitable deduction under Section 170(a),
 642(c), 2055(a), or 2522(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
 (4)  direct skip treatment under Section 2642(c),
 Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or
 (5)  any other tax benefit for income, gift, estate, or
 generation-skipping transfer tax purposes under the Internal
 Revenue Code of 1986.
 (b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), an authorized trustee
 may distribute the principal of a first trust to a second trust
 regardless of whether the settlor is treated as the owner of either
 or both trusts under Sections 671-679, Internal Revenue Code of
 1986.
 (c)  If S corporation stock is held in trust, an authorized
 trustee may not distribute all or part of that stock under Section
 112.072 or 112.073 to a second trust that is not a permitted
 shareholder under Section 1361(c)(2), Internal Revenue Code of
 1986.
 (d)  If an interest in property that is subject to the
 minimum distribution rules of Section 401(a)(9), Internal Revenue
 Code of 1986, is held in trust, an authorized trustee may not
 distribute the trust's interest in the property to a second trust
 under Section 112.072 or 112.073 if the distribution would shorten
 the minimum distribution period applicable to the property.
 Sec. 112.087.  COMPENSATION OF TRUSTEE. (a)  Except as
 provided by Subsection (b) and unless a court, on application of the
 authorized trustee, directs otherwise, the trustee may not exercise
 a power under Section 112.072 or 112.073 solely to change trust
 provisions regarding the determination of the compensation of any
 trustee.
 (b)  An authorized trustee, in connection with the exercise
 of a power under Section 112.072 or 112.073 for another valid and
 reasonable purpose, may bring the trustee's compensation into
 conformance with reasonable limits authorized by state law.
 (c)  The compensation payable to an authorized trustee of the
 first trust may continue to be paid to the trustee of the second
 trust during the term of the second trust and may be determined in
 the same manner as the compensation would have been determined in
 the first trust.
 (d)  An authorized trustee may not receive a commission or
 other compensation for the distribution of a particular asset from
 a first trust to a second trust under Section 112.072 or 112.073.
 SECTION 4.  Section 113.029, Property Code, is amended by
 amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (e) to read as
 follows:
 (b)  Subject to Subsection (d), and unless the terms of the
 trust expressly indicate that a requirement provided by this
 subsection does not apply:
 (1)  a person, other than a settlor, who is a
 beneficiary and trustee, trustee affiliate, or discretionary power
 holder of a trust that confers on the trustee a power to make
 discretionary distributions to or for the trustee's, the trustee
 affiliate's, or the discretionary power holder's personal benefit
 may exercise the power only in accordance with an ascertainable
 standard relating to the trustee's, the trustee affiliate's, or the
 discretionary power holder's individual health, education,
 support, or maintenance within the meaning of Section 2041(b)(1)(A)
 or 2514(c)(1), Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
 (2)  a trustee may not exercise a power to make
 discretionary distributions to satisfy a legal obligation of
 support that the trustee personally owes another person.
 (e)  In this section, "discretionary power holder" means a
 person who has the sole power or power shared with another person to
 make discretionary decisions on behalf of a trustee with respect to
 distributions from a trust.
 SECTION 5.  Section 115.002, Property Code, is amended by
 adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) and amending Subsections (c),
 (c-1), and (f) to read as follows:
 (b-1)  If there are multiple noncorporate trustees and the
 trustees maintain a principal office in this state, an action shall
 be brought in the county in which:
 (1)  the situs of administration of the trust is
 maintained or has been maintained at any time during the four-year
 period preceding the date the action is filed; or
 (2)  the trustees maintain the principal office.
 (b-2)  If there are multiple noncorporate trustees and the
 trustees do not maintain a principal office in this state, an action
 shall be brought in the county in which:
 (1)  the situs of administration of the trust is
 maintained or has been maintained at any time during the four-year
 period preceding the date the action is filed; or
 (2)  any trustee resides or has resided at any time
 during the four-year period preceding the date the action is filed.
 (c)  If there are one or more corporate trustees [multiple
 trustees or a corporate trustee], an action shall be brought in the
 county in which:
 (1)  the situs of administration of the trust is
 maintained or has been maintained at any time during the four-year
 period preceding the date the action is filed; or
 (2)  any [, provided that an action against a corporate
 trustee as defendant may be brought in the county in which the]
 corporate trustee maintains its principal office in this state.
 (c-1)  Notwithstanding Subsections (b), (b-1), (b-2), and
 (c), if the settlor is deceased and an administration of the
 settlor's estate is pending in this state, an action involving the
 interpretation and administration of an inter vivos trust created
 by the settlor or a testamentary trust created by the settlor's will
 may be brought:
 (1)  in a county in which venue is proper under
 Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), or (c); or
 (2)  in the county in which the administration of the
 settlor's estate is pending.
 (f)  For the purposes of this section:
 (1)  "Corporate trustee" means an entity organized as a
 financial institution or a corporation with the authority to act in
 a fiduciary capacity.
 (2)  "Principal office" means:
 (A)  if there are one or more corporate trustees,
 an office of a corporate trustee in this state where the decision
 makers for the corporate trustee within this state conduct the
 daily affairs of the corporate trustee; or
 (B)  if there are multiple trustees, none of which
 is a corporate trustee, an office in this state that is not
 maintained within the personal residence of any trustee, and in
 which one or more trustees conducts the daily affairs of the
 trustees.
 (2-a)  The mere presence of an agent or representative
 of a [the corporate] trustee does not establish a principal office
 as defined by Subdivision (2). The principal office of a [the]
 corporate trustee or the principal office maintained by multiple
 noncorporate trustees may also be but is not necessarily the same as
 the situs of administration of the trust.
 (3)  "Situs of administration" means the location in
 this state where the trustee maintains the office that is primarily
 responsible for dealing with the settlor and beneficiaries of the
 trust. The situs of administration may also be but is not
 necessarily the same as the principal office of a corporate trustee
 or the principal office maintained by multiple noncorporate
 trustees.
 SECTION 6.  Section 11.13(j), Tax Code, is amended to read as
 follows:
 (j)  For purposes of this section:
 (1)  "Residence homestead" means a structure
 (including a mobile home) or a separately secured and occupied
 portion of a structure (together with the land, not to exceed 20
 acres, and improvements used in the residential occupancy of the
 structure, if the structure and the land and improvements have
 identical ownership) that:
 (A)  is owned by one or more individuals, either
 directly or through a beneficial interest in a qualifying trust;
 (B)  is designed or adapted for human residence;
 (C)  is used as a residence; and
 (D)  is occupied as the individual's [his]
 principal residence by an owner or, for property owned through a
 beneficial interest in a qualifying trust, by a trustor or
 beneficiary of the trust who qualifies for the exemption.
 (2)  "Trustor" means a person who transfers an interest
 in real or personal [residential] property to a qualifying trust,
 whether during the person's lifetime or at death [by deed or by
 will], or the person's spouse.
 (3)  "Qualifying trust" means a trust:
 (A)  in which the agreement, will, or court order
 creating the trust, an instrument transferring property to the
 trust, or any other agreement that is binding on the trustee
 provides that the trustor of the trust or a [the] beneficiary of the
 trust [if created by court order] has the right to use and occupy as
 the trustor's or beneficiary's principal residence residential
 property rent free and without charge except for taxes and other
 costs and expenses specified in the instrument or court order:
 (i)  for life;
 (ii)  for the lesser of life or a term of
 years; or
 (iii)  until the date the trust is revoked or
 terminated by an instrument or court order that describes the
 property with sufficient certainty to identify it and is recorded
 in the real property records of the county in which the property is
 located; and
 (B)  that acquires the property in an instrument
 of title or under a court order that:
 (i)  describes the property with sufficient
 certainty to identify it and the interest acquired; and
 (ii)  is recorded in the real property
 records of the county in which the property is located[; and
 [(iii)     in the case of a trust that is not
 created by court order, is executed by the trustor or the personal
 representative of the trustor].
 SECTION 7.  Section 152.025(a), Tax Code, is amended to read
 as follows:
 (a)  A tax is imposed on the recipient of a gift of a motor
 vehicle.  This section applies only if the person receiving the
 motor vehicle:
 (1)  receives the vehicle from:
 (A)  the person's:
 (i)  spouse;
 (ii)  parent or stepparent;
 (iii)  grandparent or grandchild;
 (iv)  child or stepchild;
 (v)  sibling; or
 (vi)  guardian; [or]
 (B)  a decedent's estate;
 (C)  a trust subject to the Texas Trust Code
 (Subtitle B, Title 9, Property Code) that was revocable by a
 decedent or that was jointly revocable by a decedent and the
 decedent's spouse; or
 (D)  a trust subject to the Texas Trust Code that
 is revocable by the person receiving the motor vehicle or that is
 jointly revocable by the recipient and the recipient's spouse;
 (2)  is a trust subject to the Texas Trust Code that is
 revocable by the transferor of the motor vehicle or that is jointly
 revocable by the transferor and the transferor's spouse; or
 (3)  is exempt from federal income taxation under
 Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, by being listed as an
 exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of that code, and the
 vehicle will be used for the purposes of the organization.
 SECTION 8.  The legislature intends Subchapter D, Chapter
 112, Property Code, as added by this Act, to be a codification of
 the common law of this state in effect before the effective date of
 this Act.
 SECTION 9.  (a)  Except as otherwise expressly provided by a
 trust, a will creating a trust, or this section, the changes in law
 made by this Act apply to a trust existing or created on or after
 September 1, 2013.
 (b)  For a trust existing on September 1, 2013, that was
 created before that date, the changes in law made by this Act apply
 only to an act or omission relating to the trust that occurs on or
 after September 1, 2013.
 (c)  Section 115.002, Property Code, as amended by this Act,
 applies only to a court action commenced on or after the effective
 date of this Act. An action commenced before the effective date of
 this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before that
 date, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.