Bill Text: NJ ACR43 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Proposes constitutional amendment to provide property tax exemption for deployed members of U.S. Armed Forces.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-27 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [ACR43 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2016-ACR43-Introduced.html

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ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 43

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

217th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  NANCY F. MUNOZ

District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)

Assemblyman  JAY WEBBER

District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Proposes constitutional amendment to provide property tax exemption for deployed members of U.S. Armed Forces.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  

A Concurrent Resolution proposing to amend Article VIII, Section I, paragraph 3 of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey.

 

     Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

 

     1.    The following proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of New Jersey is agreed to:

 

     PROPOSED AMENDMENT

 

     Amend Article VIII, Section I, paragraph 3 to read as follows:

     3.    a.  Any citizen and resident of this State now or hereafter honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service, in time of war or other emergency as, from time to time, defined by the Legislature, in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States shall be entitled, annually to a deduction from the amount of any tax bill for taxes on real and personal property, or both, including taxes attributable to a residential unit held by a stockholder in a cooperative or mutual housing corporation, in the sum of $50 or if the amount of any such tax bill shall be less than $50, to a cancellation thereof, except that the deduction or cancellation shall be $100 in tax year 2000, $150 in tax year 2001, $200 in tax year 2002 and $250 in each tax year thereafter.  The deduction or cancellation shall not be altered or repealed.  Any person hereinabove described who has been or shall be declared by the United States Veterans Administration, or its successor, to have a service-connected disability, shall be entitled to such further deduction from taxation as from time to time may be provided by law. The surviving spouse of any citizen and resident of this State who has met or shall meet his or her death on active duty in time of war or of other emergency as so defined in any such service shall be entitled, during her widowhood or his widowerhood, as the case may be, and while a resident of this State, to the deduction or cancellation in this paragraph provided for honorably discharged veterans and to such further deduction as from time to time may be provided by law.  The surviving spouse of any citizen and resident of this State who has had or shall hereafter have active service in time of war or of other emergency as so defined in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States and who died or shall die while on active duty in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, or who has been or may hereafter be honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service in time of war or of other emergency as so defined in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States shall be entitled, during her widowhood or his widowerhood, as the case may be, and while a resident of this State, to the deduction or cancellation in this paragraph provided for honorably discharged veterans and to such further deductions as from time to time may be provided by law.

     b.    Any resident of this State who is a member of the United States Armed Forces, including the Reserve component thereof, shall be entitled to an exemption from taxation on real and personal property, or both, owned by the resident or with a spouse, including taxes attributable to a residential unit held by a stockholder in a cooperative or mutual housing corporation owned by the resident or with a spouse, for the period of time the resident is deployed for active service in time of war or other emergency as, from time to time, shall be provided by law.

(cf: Article VIII, Section I, paragraph 3, amended effective December 2, 1999)

 

     2.    When this proposed amendment to the Constitution is finally agreed to pursuant to Article IX, paragraph 1 of the Constitution, it shall be submitted to the people at the next general election occurring more than three months after the final agreement and shall be published at least once in at least one newspaper of each county designated by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly and the Secretary of State, not less than three months prior to the general election.

 

     3.    This proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be submitted to the people at that election in the following manner and form:

     There shall be printed on each official ballot to be used at the general election, the following:

     a.     In every municipality in which voting machines are not used, a legend which shall immediately precede the question, as follows:

     If you favor the proposition printed below make a cross (X), plus (+), or check (T) in the square opposite the word "Yes."  If you are opposed thereto make a cross (X), plus (+) or check (T) in the square opposite the word "No."

     b.    In every municipality the following question:

 

		CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO PROVIDE EXEMPTION FROM PROPERTY TAXES FOR DEPLOYED MEMBERS OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES
	YES	Do you approve amending the Constitution to exempt deployed members of the U.S. Armed Forces from paying property taxes?  This exemption would apply only while the member is deployed in time of war or other emergency.
		INTERPRETIVE STATEMENT
	NO	This amendment would provide an exemption from paying property taxes to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their spouses.  During the period of time that the member is deployed in time of war or other emergency, the member would not have to pay property taxes.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This proposed constitutional amendment would provide a property tax exemption for members of the United States Armed Forces while they are deployed for active military service in times of war or other emergencies.

     As a nation, we are currently engaged in military action around the globe.  As a State, we provide the soldiers who will encounter, first hand, dangerous situations during this hazardous duty.

     All New Jerseyans are worried about each of these brave soldiers, and pray for their safe return. However, none worry more than their families and especially their spouses. This bill is an effort to provide them with some financial relief until their actively serving spouses return.  A property tax exemption is the very least we could do for our New Jersey military personnel deployed for active service and their families.