Bill Text: VA HJR6 | 2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Constitutional amendment; real property tax exemption for spouse of disabled veteran.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2018-04-09 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0812) [HJR6 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-HJR6-Chaptered.html
Proposing an amendment to Section 6-A of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia, relating to real property tax; exemption.
WHEREAS, a proposed amendment to the Constitution of Virginia, hereinafter set forth, was agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each of the two houses of the General Assembly at the regular session of 2017 and referred to this, the next regular session held after the 2017 general election of members of the House of Delegates, as required by the Constitution of Virginia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the following amendment to the Constitution of Virginia be, and the same hereby is, proposed in conformity with the provisions of Section 1 of Article XII of the Constitution of Virginia, namely:
Amend Section 6-A of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia as follows:
Section 6-A. Property tax exemption for certain veterans and their surviving spouses and surviving spouses of soldiers killed in action.
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6, the General
Assembly by general law, and within the restrictions and conditions prescribed
therein, shall exempt from taxation the real property, including the joint real
property of husband and wife, of any veteran who has been determined by the
United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its successor agency pursuant
to federal law to have a one hundred percent service-connected, permanent, and
total disability, and who occupies the real property as his or her principal
place of residence. The General Assembly shall also provide this exemption from
taxation for real property owned by the surviving spouse of a veteran who was
eligible for the exemption provided in this subdivision, so long as the
surviving spouse does not remarry and continues to occupy the real property
as his or her principal place of residence. This exemption applies to
the surviving spouse's principal place of residence without any restriction on
the spouse's moving to a different principal place of residence.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6, the General Assembly by general law, and within the restrictions and conditions prescribed therein, may exempt from taxation the real property of the surviving spouse of any member of the armed forces of the United States who was killed in action as determined by the United States Department of Defense, who occupies the real property as his or her principal place of residence. The exemption under this subdivision shall cease if the surviving spouse remarries and shall not be claimed thereafter. This exemption applies regardless of whether the spouse was killed in action prior to the effective date of this subdivision, but the exemption shall not be applicable for any period of time prior to the effective date. This exemption applies to the surviving spouse's principal place of residence without any restriction on the spouse's moving to a different principal place of residence and without any requirement that the spouse reside in the Commonwealth at the time of death of the member of the armed forces.
