What's happening
This bill raises the income eligibility base for enhanced STAR school tax exemptions for seniors starting in the 2018–2019 school year.
Why it matters
Raises the property value threshold for seniors to qualify for the enhanced STAR property tax exemption from previous levels to $75,800, providing greater tax relief and making more seniors eligible.
Links future increases in the exemption amount to inflation (CPI-W), ensuring the program keeps pace with rising costs and preserves the value of the benefit over time.
Maintains the basic STAR exemption for non-seniors at $30,000, so the main change and benefit go specifically to senior citizens, potentially reducing their financial burden as property values and living expenses grow.
Requires annual recalculation and public notification of the exemption levels, which could improve transparency and predictability for seniors planning their finances.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Increase School Tax Exemption
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 40
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to aging
- Print number 4529a
- Amend (t) and recommit to aging
- Referred to aging
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Increase School Tax Exemption
In Assembly Committee · Real Property Taxation · Sponsor Steven Englebright
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4529--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 16, 2017
Introduced by Sens. MURPHY, FUNKE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to increasing the base figure for the enhanced school tax relief exception
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subparagraph (vi) of paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section 425 of the real property tax law, as added by section 1 of part D-1 of chapter 57 of the laws of 2007, clause (A) as further amended by subdivision (b) of section 1 of part W of chapter 56 of the laws of 2010, is amended and two new subparagraphs (vii) and (viii) are added to read as follows:
(vi) For the two thousand nine--two thousand ten school year [and thereafter] through the two thousand seventeen--two thousand eighteen school year:
(A) The base figure for the enhanced STAR exemption shall equal the prior year's base figure multiplied by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) published by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, for the third quarter of the calendar year preceding the applicable school year, as compared to the third quarter of the prior calendar year. If a base figure as so determined is not exactly equal to a multiple of one hundred dollars, it shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of one hundred dollars. It shall be the responsibility of the commissioner to annually determine such base figures.
(B) The base figure for the basic STAR exemption shall be thirty thousand dollars.
(vii) For the two thousand eighteen--two thousand nineteen school year, the base figure shall be seventy-five thousand eight hundred
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03501-04-7
S. 4529--A 2
dollars for eligible senior citizens, and thirty thousand dollars for other eligible persons.
(viii) For the two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty school year and thereafter:
(A) The base figure for the enhanced STAR exemption shall equal the prior year's base figure multiplied by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) published by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, for the third quarter of the calendar year preceding the applicable school year, as compared to the third quarter of the prior calendar year. If a base figure as so determined is not exactly equal to a multiple of one hundred dollars, it shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of one hundred dollars. It shall be the responsibility of the commissioner to annually determine such base figures.
(B) The base figure for the basic STAR exemption shall be thirty thousand dollars.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the real property tax law, in relation to increasing the base figure for the enhanced school tax relief exception
Purpose
This bill would increase the base figure for the enhanced school tax relief exemption (STAR) commencing in the 2018-2019 school year.
Summary of provisions
Section one amends paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section 425 of the real property tax law by increasing the base figure of the assessed value of a home that is exempt under the enhanced school tax relief exemption for senior citizens from $56,800 to $75,800. Section one amends subparagraph (vi) as applied to the 2017-2018 school year. Further, it adds subparagraphs (vii) and (viii) which are applied to school years 2018-2019 and beyond. Subparagraph (viii) provides for the method for recalculating the enhanced STAR base figure after the 2018-2019 school year by use of the consumer price index as published by the United States Department of Labor.
Section two establishes the effective date.
Justification
The school tax relief program was enacted into law in 1997 and has provided seniors across the state with much needed tax relief for twenty years. As a result, many seniors who live on fixed incomes have been able to remain in their homes. By 2020, projections indicate that seniors will comprise over 15 percent of the state's total population. These projections further indicate that while the overall State popu- lation will grow minimally the state's baby boomer generation will increase to over 18 percent. Further, with approximately seventy percent of senior homeowners spending one-third of their income on housing expenses, it will become more challenging for these individuals to continue to live in the state. This bill would substantially increase the property tax relief through school tax relief for senior citizens by increasing the enhanced school tax relief base figure from $56,800 to $75,800.
Legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.