Bill Text: NJ SCR81 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Proposes constitutional amendment to increase amount of veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $2,500 over four years.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-17 - Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee [SCR81 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-SCR81-Introduced.html
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 81
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED JANUARY 29, 2024
Sponsored by:
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Proposes constitutional amendment to increase amount of veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $2,500 over four years.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution proposing to amend Article VIII, Section I, paragraph 3 of the New Jersey Constitution.
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly 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 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]. The amount of the deduction shall be $250 in each tax year [, or if] through tax year 2024, $1,000 in tax year 2025, $1,500 in tax year 2026, $2,000 in tax year 2027, and $2,500 in tax year 2028 and in each tax year thereafter. If the amount of any such tax bill shall be less than [$250,] the amount of the deduction for the tax year, such a citizen and resident of the State shall be entitled to a cancellation [thereof] of the tax bill. The deduction or cancellation shall not be altered or repealed.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:
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CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO PHASE IN INCREASE TO THE PROPERTY TAX DEDUCTION FOR QUALIFIED VETERANS AND THEIR SURVIVING SPOUSES |
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YES |
Do you approve amending the New Jersey Constitution to increase the amount of the veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $2,500? The increase would occur over four years. The surviving spouse of a qualified veteran would also receive the increased property tax deduction. |
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INTERPRETIVE STATEMENT |
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NO
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This constitutional amendment would increase the amount of the annual property tax deduction for qualified veterans and their surviving spouses. The increase would occur over four years. The current amount of the deduction is $250. This amendment would increase that amount to $1,000 in tax year 2025, $1,500 in tax year 2026, $2,000 in tax year 2027, and $2,500 in tax year 2028. The deduction would stay at $2,500 each year after 2028. A veteran who is honorably discharged from active service in a branch of the United States Armed Forces qualifies for the deduction. The veteran's spouse would receive the deduction after the veteran dies. |
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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 $2,500. The increase would occur over four years. Veterans who are honorably discharged from active service in a branch of the United States Armed Forces qualify for the deduction. A qualified veteran's surviving spouse would receive the deduction after the qualified veteran dies.
The amendment would increase the amount of the deduction to $1,000 in tax year 2025, $1,500 in tax year 2026, $2,000 in tax year 2027, and $2,500 in tax year 2028, and every tax year thereafter.
The voters of the State last approved an increase in the amount of the deduction in 1999, from $50 to $250, over four years. The amount of the deduction has been $250 since 2003.
