Bill Text: NJ ACR93 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

New Jersey Assembly Concurrent Resolution 93

Introduced

Bill Title: Proposes constitutional amendment to increase amounts of property tax deductions granted to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and veterans.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [ACR93 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-ACR93-Introduced.html

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 93

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Atkins

SYNOPSIS

Proposes constitutional amendment to increase amounts of property tax deductions granted to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and veterans.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

A Concurrent Resolution proposing to amend Article VIII, Section I, paragraphs 3 and 4 of the New Jersey Constitution.

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 are hereby agreed to:

PROPOSED AMENDMENT

a. 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 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 $250 in each tax year through 2023, or if the amount of any such tax bill shall be less than $250, to a cancellation thereof. Beginning in tax year 2024, and in each year thereafter, the amount of that deduction shall be $500 in each tax year, or if the amount of any such tax bill shall be less than $500, such a veteran shall be entitled to a cancellation thereof. The deduction or cancellation shall not be altered or repealed.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 Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 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 subsection 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 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 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 subsection provided for honorably discharged veterans and to such further deductions as from time to time may be provided by law.

b. A continuing care retirement community shall receive a veterans' property tax deduction on behalf of eligible veterans. The amount of the property tax deduction shall be the dollar amount of the deduction multiplied by the number of eligible veterans receiving the property tax deduction immediately prior to moving into the continuing care retirement community. A person otherwise eligible for the veterans' deduction who is a resident of a continuing care retirement community shall receive the amount of the deduction to the extent of the share of the taxes assessed against the real property of the continuing care retirement community that is attributable to the unit that the resident occupies. The continuing care retirement community shall provide that amount as a payment or credit to the resident. That payment or credit shall be made to the resident no later than 30 days after the continuing care retirement community receives the property tax bill on which the credit appears. A veterans' property tax deduction shall not be paid on behalf of any eligible veteran who resides in a continuing care retirement community that is property tax-exempt. A resident receiving a payment or credit pursuant to this subsection shall not receive a veterans' property tax deduction on any other residence owned in whole or in part by the resident, or any residence in which the resident's spouse is living.

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 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 in this subsection provided for honorably discharged veterans. The surviving spouse of any citizen and resident of this State who has had or shall hereafter have active service 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 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 in this subsection provided for honorably discharged veterans.

(cf: Article VIII, Section I, paragraph 3 amended effective December 3, 2020)

b. Amend Article VIII, Section I, paragraph 4 to read as follows:

4. The Legislature may, from time to time, enact laws granting an annual deduction, from the amount of any tax bill for taxes on the real property, and from taxes attributable to a residential unit in a cooperative or mutual housing corporation, of any citizen and resident of this State of the age of 65 or more years, or any citizen and resident of this State less than 65 years of age who is permanently and totally disabled according to the provisions of the Federal Social Security Act, residing in a dwelling house owned by him which is a constituent part of such real property, or residing in a dwelling house owned by him which is assessed as real property but which is situated on land owned by another or others, or residing as tenant-shareholder in a cooperative or mutual housing corporation, but no such deduction shall be in excess of [$160.00 with respect to any year prior to 1981, $200.00 per year in 1981, $225.00 per year in 1982, and] $250.00 per year [in 1983] through 2023, and $500 per year in 2024 and any year thereafter and such deduction shall be restricted to owners having an income not in excess of $5,000.00 per year with respect to any year prior to 1981, $8,000.00 per year in 1981, $9,000.00 per year in 1982, and $10,000.00 per year in 1983 and any year thereafter, exclusive of benefits under any one of the following:

a. The Federal Social Security Act and all amendments and supplements thereto;

b. Any other program of the federal government or pursuant to any other federal law which provides benefits in whole or in part in lieu of benefits referred to in, or for persons excluded from coverage under, a. hereof including but not limited to the Federal Railroad Retirement Act and federal pension, disability and retirement programs; or

c. Pension, disability or retirement programs of any state or its political subdivisions, or agencies thereof, for persons not covered under a. hereof; provided, however, that the total amount of benefits to be allowed exclusion by any owner under b. or c. hereof shall not be in excess of the maximum amount of benefits payable to, and allowable for exclusion by, an owner in similar circumstances under a. hereof.

The surviving spouse of a deceased citizen and resident of the State who during his or her life received a deduction pursuant to this paragraph shall be entitled, so long as he or she shall remain unmarried and a resident of the same dwelling house situated on the same land with respect to which said deduction was granted, to the same deduction, upon the same conditions, with respect to the same real property or with respect to the same dwelling house which is situated on land owned by another or others, or with respect to the same cooperative or mutual housing corporation, notwithstanding that said surviving spouse is under the age of 65 and is not permanently and totally disabled, provided that said surviving spouse is 55 years of age or older.

Any such deduction when so granted by law shall be granted so that it will not be in addition to any other deduction or exemption, except a deduction granted under authority of paragraph 3 of this section, to which the said citizen and resident may be entitled, but said citizen and resident may receive in addition any homestead rebate or credit provided by law. The State shall annually reimburse each taxing district in an amount equal to one-half of the tax loss to the district resulting from the allowance of tax deductions pursuant to this paragraph.

(cf: Article VIII, Section I, paragraph 4 amended effective December 8, 1988)

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

b. In every municipality the following question:

		INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF THE PROPERTY TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, AND VETERANS
	YES	Do you approve amending the Constitution to increase the annual property tax deductions given to eligible senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and veterans to $500? Those property tax deductions are now $250. Widows and widowers of eligible senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and veterans would receive the $500 deduction after the death of their spouses.
		INTERPRETIVE STATEMENT
	NO	This amendments would increase the amounts of the deductions given to eligible senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and veterans to $500 per year. Currently, those property tax deductions are $250. The veterans' deduction was increased to $250 in 2003. The deduction for senior citizens and persons with disabilities was increased to $250 in 1983. Seniors and persons with disabilities are required to meet certain other requirements to be eligible. Seniors must be 65 or older. Persons with disabilities may be any age to receive the deduction. All seniors and persons with disabilities are required to have an annual income limit of $10,000 or less. Some types of income do not count toward the $10,000 limit. Widows and widowers of senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and veterans would receive the $500 deduction after the death of their spouses.

STATEMENT

If approved by the voters of the State, this proposed amendment to the New Jersey Constitution would increase from $250 to $500 the amounts of the property tax deductions granted to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and veterans, and their surviving spouses.

The veterans' property tax deduction was last increased, to $250, in 2003. The deduction for senior citizens and disabled persons was last increased, to $250, in 1983.