Bill Text: NY S06593 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Makes certain tax abatement forms more readily available to seniors and authorizes certain entities to assist in the completion of such forms.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-05-14 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE [S06593 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-S06593-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 6593 I N S E N A T E March 1, 2012 ___________ Introduced by Sen. GOLDEN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to making certain tax abatement forms more readily available to seniors and authorizing certain entities to assist in the completion of such forms THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 467-b of the real property tax law 2 is amended by adding a new paragraph g to read as follows: 3 G. "SUPERVISING AGENCY" SHALL MEAN THE APPROPRIATE RENT CONTROL AGENCY 4 OR ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY DESIGNATED TO ADMINISTER THE TAX ABATEMENT FOR 5 RENT-CONTROLLED AND RENT REGULATED PROPERTY OCCUPIED BY SENIOR CITIZENS 6 OR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES PURSUANT TO A LOCAL LAW, RESOLUTION, OR 7 ORDINANCE PASSED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION. 8 S 2. Section 467-b of the real property tax law is amended by adding a 9 new subdivision 3-a to read as follows: 10 3-A. THE SUPERVISING AGENCY SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN THAT 11 WILL INCREASE THE ABILITY OF APPLICANTS AND PARTICIPANTS TO OBTAIN AND 12 COMPLETE ITS FORMS IN A COMMUNITY SETTING. ADDITIONALLY, THE SUPERVISING 13 AGENCY SHALL MAKE ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPLETION OF 14 SUCH FORMS. SUCH PLAN SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO: 15 A. PARTNERING WITH ORGANIZATIONS, WHERE AVAILABLE, THAT ENGAGE IN 16 OUTREACH AND PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO SENIORS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY 17 TO MAKE SUCH FORMS AVAILABLE TO POTENTIAL APPLICANTS AND CURRENT PARTIC- 18 IPANTS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING ASSISTANCE WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPLETION 19 OF SUCH FORMS. ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE CONTACT WITH SENIORS IN THE 20 COMMUNITY SHALL INCLUDE, WHERE APPLICABLE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO SENIOR 21 CENTERS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY BOARDS ESTABLISHED 22 PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT HUNDRED OF THE NEW YORK CITY CHARTER, 23 NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION COMPANIES ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 24 SIXTEEN OF THE PRIVATE HOUSING FINANCE LAW, AND RURAL PRESERVATION 25 CORPORATIONS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE SEVENTEEN OF THE PRIVATE 26 HOUSING FINANCE LAW; EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD14357-01-2 S. 6593 2 1 B. PARTNERING WITH OTHER MUNICIPAL ENTITIES OR AGENCIES TO DISSEMINATE 2 INFORMATION AND FORMS FOR THE TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM AS WELL AS PROVIDE 3 ASSISTANCE WITH THE COMPLETION OF SUCH FORMS; 4 C. PROVIDING TRAINING FOR INDIVIDUALS IN SUCH PARTNERING ORGANIZA- 5 TIONS, ENTITIES, AND AGENCIES TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN COMPLETING SUCH 6 FORMS FOR THE TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM; 7 D. AUTHORIZING ORGANIZATIONS, ENTITIES, OR AGENCIES THAT OFFER ASSIST- 8 ANCE WITH FORMS PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION TO ACCEPT COMPLETED FORMS 9 FROM APPLICANTS AND PARTICIPANTS AND FORWARD THEM TO THE SUPERVISING 10 AGENCY. THE SUPERVISING AGENCY SHALL TREAT SUCH FORMS AS IF THEY HAD 11 BEEN RECEIVED DIRECTLY FROM THE APPLICANT OR PARTICIPANT; AND 12 E. PROVIDING DIRECT CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE OFFICE OF THE SUPER- 13 VISING AGENCY TO APPLICANTS AND PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS REGARD- 14 ING THE PROGRAM. 15 S 3. Subdivision 4 of section 467-b of the real property tax law, as 16 amended by chapter 651 of the laws of 1988, is amended to read as 17 follows: 18 4. The head of the household must apply every two years to the appro- 19 priate rent control agency or administrative agency for a tax abatement 20 certificate on a form prescribed by said agency. SUCH FORM SHALL BE 21 MADE AVAILABLE TO ANY ORGANIZATION, ENTITY, OR AGENCY PARTNERING WITH 22 THE SUPERVISING AGENCY PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE-A OF THIS SECTION. 23 ANY COMPLETED APPLICATION RECEIVED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH D OF SUBDIVI- 24 SION THREE-A OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE TREATED AS IF IT HAD BEEN RECEIVED 25 DIRECTLY FROM THE APPLICANT OR PARTICIPANT. A tax abatement certificate 26 setting forth an amount not in excess of the increase in maximum rent or 27 legal regulated rent for the taxable period or such other amount as 28 shall be determined under subdivision three of this section shall be 29 issued by said agency to each head of the household who is found to be 30 eligible under this section on or before the last date prescribed by law 31 for the payment of the taxes or the first installment thereof of any 32 municipal corporation which has granted an abatement of taxes. Copies of 33 such certificate shall be issued to the owner of the real property 34 containing the dwelling unit of the head of the household and to the 35 collecting officer charged with the duty of collecting the taxes of each 36 municipal corporation which has granted the abatement of taxes author- 37 ized by this section. 38 S 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amend- 39 ments to section 467-b of the real property tax law made by sections 40 one, two and three of this act shall not affect the expiration of such 41 section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.