STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9833 IN ASSEMBLY April 19, 2022 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ANGELINO -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Real Property Taxation AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to providing a tax exemption on real property owned by members of volunteer fire companies or voluntary ambulance services in a certain county The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The real property tax law is amended by adding a new 2 section 466-l to read as follows: 3 § 466-l. Volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers; 4 certain county. 1. Real property owned by an enrolled member of an 5 incorporated volunteer fire company, fire department or incorporated 6 voluntary ambulance service or such enrolled member and spouse residing 7 in any county having a population of more than one hundred ninety thou- 8 sand six hundred and less than two hundred thousand six hundred inhabit- 9 ants, based upon and recorded by the two thousand twenty federal census, 10 shall be exempt from taxation to the extent of ten percent of the 11 assessed value of such property for city, village, town, part town, 12 special district, school district, fire district or county purposes, 13 exclusive of special assessments, provided that the governing body of a 14 city, village, town, school district, fire district or county, after a 15 public hearing, adopts a local law, ordinance or resolution providing 16 therefor. 17 2. Such exemption shall not be granted to an enrolled member of an 18 incorporated volunteer fire company, fire department or incorporated 19 voluntary ambulance service residing in such county unless: 20 (a) the applicant resides in the city, town or village which is served 21 by such incorporated volunteer fire company or fire department or incor- 22 porated voluntary ambulance service; 23 (b) the property is the primary residence of the applicant; 24 (c) the property is used exclusively for residential purposes; 25 provided however, that in the event any portion of such property is not 26 used exclusively for the applicant's residence but is used for other 27 purposes, such portion shall be subject to taxation and the remaining EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14500-01-2A. 9833 2 1 portion only shall be entitled to the exemption provided by this 2 section; and 3 (d) the applicant has been certified by the authority having jurisdic- 4 tion for the incorporated volunteer fire company or fire department as 5 an enrolled member of such incorporated volunteer fire company or fire 6 department for at least two years or the applicant has been certified by 7 the authority having jurisdiction for the incorporated voluntary ambu- 8 lance service as an enrolled member of such incorporated voluntary ambu- 9 lance service for at least two years. It shall be the duty and responsi- 10 bility of the municipality, school district and/or fire district which 11 adopts a local law, ordinance or resolution pursuant to this section to 12 determine the procedure for certification. 13 3. Any enrolled member of an incorporated volunteer fire company, fire 14 department or incorporated voluntary ambulance service who accrues more 15 than twenty years of active service and is so certified by the authority 16 having jurisdiction for the incorporated volunteer fire company, fire 17 department or incorporated voluntary ambulance service, shall be granted 18 the ten percent exemption as authorized by this section for the remain- 19 der of his or her life as long as his or her primary residence is 20 located within such county provided that the governing body of a city, 21 village, town, school district, fire district or county, after a public 22 hearing, adopts a local law, ordinance or resolution providing therefor. 23 4. Application for such exemption shall be filed with the assessor or 24 other agency, department or office designated by the municipality, 25 school district and/or fire district offering such exemption on or 26 before the taxable status date on a form as prescribed by the commis- 27 sioner. 28 5. No applicant who is a volunteer firefighter or volunteer ambulance 29 worker who by reason of such status is receiving any benefit under the 30 provisions of this article on the effective date of this section shall 31 suffer any diminution of such benefit because of the provisions of this 32 section. 33 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 34 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to 35 taxable status dates occurring on or after such date.