What's happening
This bill requires agencies to make tax abatement forms for seniors more accessible and authorizes organizations to help complete and submit these forms.
Why it matters
Reduces barriers for elderly and disabled renters. By requiring agencies to partner with community organizations and provide assistance with tax abatement forms, the bill aims to ensure more seniors and people with disabilities can access financial relief they may otherwise miss due to paperwork challenges.
Enables trusted local organizations to help. The legislation allows senior centers, community-based groups, and other neighborhood entities to not only distribute forms, but also help applicants fill them out and directly submit completed forms, making the process more approachable for those unfamiliar with government paperwork.
Standardizes and streamlines the process. The bill mandates training for individuals at partner organizations and requires agencies to treat forms submitted through these partners the same as those submitted directly, reducing confusion, potential delays, and administrative hurdles for applicants.
Addresses equity and outreach gaps. By embedding the application process into community settings, the bill targets underserved or isolated populations, helping ensure that seniors who might struggle with mobility, language barriers, or bureaucratic systems are not left out of important housing benefits.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Senior tenants and tenants with disabilities
The bill would expand community access to tax abatement program forms and assistance completing them, including submission through authorized partner organizations.
Local rent control and administering agencies
They would have to develop an access plan, arrange community and municipal partnerships, provide training and accept partner-forwarded forms as direct submissions.
Senior centers and community-based organizations
They could partner with administering agencies to distribute forms, help applicants complete them and forward completed applications.
Community boards and neighborhood and rural preservation organizations
The bill names them as potential partners for bringing forms and application assistance into communities.
Headline styles
Help Seniors With Tax Forms
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Substituted by A6026
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1117
- Referred 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.
Simplify Tax Forms for Seniors
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Donna Lupardo
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4555
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 17, 2017
Introduced by Sen. GOLDEN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to making certain tax abatement forms more readily available to seniors and authorizing certain entities to assist in the completion of such forms
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 467-b of the real property tax law is amended by adding a new paragraph g to read as follows:
g. "Supervising agency" shall mean the appropriate rent control agency or administrative agency designated to administer the tax abatement for rent-controlled and rent regulated property occupied by senior citizens or persons with disabilities pursuant to a local law, resolution, or ordinance passed pursuant to subdivision two of this section.
§ 2. Section 467-b of the real property tax law is amended by adding a new subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
3-a. The supervising agency shall develop and implement a plan that will increase the ability of applicants and participants to obtain and complete its forms in a community setting. Additionally, the supervising agency shall make assistance available with respect to the completion of such forms. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to:
a. partnering with organizations, where available, that engage in outreach and provide supportive services to seniors within the community to make such forms available to potential applicants and current participants, as well as providing assistance with respect to the completion of such forms. Organizations that have contact with seniors in the community shall include, where applicable, but not be limited to senior centers, community-based organizations, community boards established pursuant to section twenty-eight hundred of the New York city charter, neighborhood preservation companies established pursuant to article sixteen of the private housing finance law, and rural preservation
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07286-01-7
S. 4555 2
corporations established pursuant to article seventeen of the private housing finance law;
b. partnering with other municipal entities or agencies to disseminate information and forms for the tax abatement program as well as provide assistance with the completion of such forms;
c. providing training for individuals in such partnering organizations, entities, and agencies to assist individuals in completing such forms for the tax abatement program;
d. authorizing organizations, entities, or agencies that offer assistance with forms pursuant to this subdivision to accept completed forms from applicants and participants and forward them to the supervising agency. The supervising agency shall treat such forms as if they had been received directly from the applicant or participant.
§ 3. Subdivision 4 of section 467-b of the real property tax law, as amended by chapter 442 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
4. a. (1) The head of the household must apply every two years to the appropriate rent control agency or administrative agency for a tax abatement certificate on a form prescribed by said agency. Such form shall be made available to any organization, entity, or agency partnering with the supervising agency pursuant to subdivision three-a of this section. Any completed application received pursuant to paragraph d of subdivision three-a of this section shall be treated as if it had been received directly from the applicant or participant.
(2) Upon the adoption of a local law, ordinance, or resolution by the governing board of a municipality, any head of household that has been issued a tax abatement certificate pursuant to this section for five consecutive benefit periods, and whose income and residence have not changed since their last renewal application, shall be eligible to file a short form renewal. Such statement shall be on a form prescribed by the appropriate rent control agency or administrative agency and shall include the following: (i) a sworn statement certifying that such head of household continues to be eligible to receive such certificate and that their income and residence have not changed; and (ii) a certification to be signed by the applicant stating that all information contained in their statement is true and correct to the best of the applicant's knowledge and belief and stating that they understand that the willful making of any false statement of material fact therein shall subject them to the provisions of law relevant to the making and filing of false instruments and loss of their benefit, and that subsequent reapplication shall be as a new applicant.
(b) A tax abatement certificate setting forth an amount not in excess of the increase in maximum rent or legal regulated rent for the taxable period or such other amount as shall be determined under subdivision three of this section shall be issued by said agency to each head of the household who is found to be eligible under this section on or before the last date prescribed by law for the payment of the taxes or the first installment thereof of any municipal corporation which has granted an abatement of taxes. Copies of such certificate shall be issued to the owner of the real property containing the dwelling unit of the head of the household and to the collecting officer charged with the duty of collecting the taxes of each municipal corporation which has granted the abatement of taxes authorized by this section.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amendments to section 467-b of the real property tax law made by sections
S. 4555 3
one, two and three of this act shall not affect the expiration of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.
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 making certain tax abatement forms more readily available to seniors and authorizing certain entities to assist in the completion of such forms
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would encourage a decentralization of services and assistance related to the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disabled Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) program by requiring that forms and assistance be made available to applicants and participants in the community.
Summary of provisions
Section one of this bill amends subdivision 1 of section 467-b of the Real Property Tax Law to establish the definition of "supervising agency" as the municipal agency administering the SCRIE/DRIE program to simplify further changes to the statute.
Section two of this bill amends section 467-b of the Real Property Tax Law to add a new subdivision 3-a to require the development and implementation of a plan to make participating in the SCRIE/DRIE program easier for applicants and participants in the community. This plan would include:
*Partnering with community-based organizations and other municipal agencies to make forms and assistance with completing those forms available in community settings;
*Providing training for individuals in the partnering organizations in assisting with SCRIE/DRIE forms;
*Making direct contact information for the supervising agency available so applicants and participants could call with questions; and
*Authorizing partnering organizations to accept forms on behalf of applicants and participants and file them with the supervising agency.
Section three of this bill amends subdivision 4 of section 467-b of the Real Property Tax Law, which would make a corresponding change to the statute to ensure that the supervising agency would accept forms from applicants and participants filed on their behalf by a partnering organization.
Section four of this bill provides that this act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amendments to section 467-b of the real property tax made by sections one, two, and three of this act shall not affect the expiration of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.
Justification
The change in administration of the SCRIE program in New York City from the Department for the Aging (DFTA) to the Department of Finance (DOE) has resulted in a closed-door system that makes it difficult for seniors to get help. The only contact information for DOF is 311, and their customer service window is in Manhattan. Seniors live across the city in communities where it is a hardship to travel to the next neighborhood, let alone another borough. Many seniors are frail and physically unable to travel further than their local senior center.
It is important that seniors not be excluded from the program due to the very limitations that cause them to need assistance. De-centralization of services and assistance will ensure that everything a senior needs to participate in the program is available in their community. They will have the forms and assistance they need to make sure they can fully participate in the program.
Prior legislative history
2014: S.6761-A - Vetoed Memo 546 2012: S.6593 - Senate Finance
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amendments to section 467-b of the real property tax made by sections one, two, and three of this act shall not affect the expiration of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.