Bill Text: NJ ACR157 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Proposes constitutional amendment to increase amount of annual veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $1,250.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 7-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-09-22 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee [ACR157 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2022-ACR157-Introduced.html

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 157

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  BRIAN BERGEN

District 25 (Morris and Somerset)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Proposes constitutional amendment to increase amount of annual veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $1,250.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


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 hereby 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 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.  In 2024, and in each tax year thereafter, the amount of the deduction shall be $1,250.  If the amount of any such tax bill in 2024, or in any year thereafter, shall be less than $1,250, the tax bill shall be canceled.  The deduction or cancellation shall not be altered or repealed.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)

 

     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:

 

 

 

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO INCREASE THE PROPERTY TAX DEDUCTION FOR QUALIFIED VETERANS AND THEIR SURVIVING SPOUSES STARTING IN 2024

 

YES

 

 

 

 

 

    Do you approve amending the New Jersey Constitution to increase, from $250 to $1,250 per year, the amount of the veterans' property tax deduction?  The surviving spouse of a qualified veteran would also receive the $1,250 property tax deduction.

 

 

INTERPRETIVE STATEMENT

 

NO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    This proposed constitutional amendment would increase the amount of the annual property tax deduction for qualified veterans and their surviving spouses.

    The current amount of the deduction is $250.  This amendment would increase that amount to $1,250 starting in 2024.

    A veteran must be honorably discharged from active service in a branch of the United States Armed Forces to qualify the deduction.  The veteran's spouse would receive the deduction after the veteran dies.


 

STATEMENT

 

     If approved by the voters of the State, this proposed constitutional amendment would increase the amount of the veterans' property tax deduction from the current $250 to $1,250, beginning in 2024.

     The voters of the State last approved an increase in the amount of the deduction in 1999, from $50 to $250, to be increased by $50 each year over a period of four years.  The amount of the deduction has been $250 since 2003.

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