Senate Bill 0184

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 184

    By Senators Diaz-Balart and Horne





    37-313A-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to homestead exemption;

  3         creating s. 196.075, F.S.; authorizing boards

  4         of county commissioners and municipal governing

  5         authorities to grant by ordinance an additional

  6         homestead exemption for persons 65 and older

  7         whose household income does not exceed a

  8         specified amount; defining the terms

  9         "household" and "income"; providing

10         requirements for the ordinances; providing an

11         effective date.

12

13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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15         Section 1.  Section 196.075, Florida Statutes, is

16  created to read:

17         196.075  Additional homestead exemption for persons 65

18  and older.--

19         (1)  As used in this section, the term:

20         (a)  "Household" means a person or group of persons

21  living together in a room or group of rooms as a housing unit,

22  but the term does not include persons boarding in or renting a

23  portion of the dwelling.

24         (b)  "Income" means the adjusted gross income, as

25  defined in s. 62 of the United States Internal Revenue Code,

26  of all members of a household.

27         (2)  In accordance with s. 6(f), Art. VII of the State

28  Constitution, the board of county commissioners of any county

29  or the governing authority of any municipality may adopt an

30  ordinance to allow an additional homestead exemption of up to

31  $25,000 for any person who has the legal or equitable title to

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 184
    37-313A-99




  1  real estate and maintains thereon the permanent residence of

  2  the owner, who has attained age 65, and whose household income

  3  does not exceed $20,000.

  4         (3)  Beginning January 1, 2001, the $20,000 income

  5  limitation will be increased by the percentage change in the

  6  Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, U.S. City

  7  Average, all items 1967=100, or successor reports for the

  8  preceding calendar year as initially reported by the United

  9  States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

10         (4)  An ordinance granting additional homestead

11  exemption as authorized by this section must meet the

12  following requirements:

13         (a)  It must be adopted under the procedures for

14  adoption of a nonemergency ordinance specified in chapter 125

15  by a board of county commissioners, or chapter 166 by a

16  municipal governing authority.

17         (b)  It must specify that the exemption applies only to

18  taxes levied by the unit of government granting the exemption.

19  Unless otherwise specified, this exemption will apply to all

20  tax levies of the county or municipality granting the

21  exemption.

22         (c)  It must specify the amount of the exemption, which

23  may not exceed $25,000.

24         (d)  It must require that a taxpayer claiming the

25  exemption annually submit to the property appraiser, not later

26  than March 1, a sworn statement of household income on a form

27  prescribed by the Department of Revenue. The department shall

28  require by rule that the filing of the statement be supported

29  by copies of federal income tax returns for the prior year,

30  wage and earnings statements (W-2 forms), and other documents

31  it finds necessary, for each member of the household. The

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 184
    37-313A-99




  1  taxpayer's statement shall attest to the accuracy of such

  2  copies. The property appraiser may not grant the exemption

  3  without the required documentation.

  4         (4)  The board of county commissioners or municipal

  5  governing authority must deliver a copy of any ordinance

  6  adopted under this section to the property appraiser no later

  7  than December 1 of the year prior to the year the exemption

  8  will take effect. If the ordinance is repealed, the board of

  9  county commissioners or municipal governing authority shall

10  notify the property appraiser no later than December 1 of the

11  year prior to the year the exemption expires.

12         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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15                          SENATE SUMMARY

16
      Authorizes boards of county commissioners and municipal
17    governing authorities to grant by ordinance an additional
      homestead exemption of up to $25,000 for persons 65 and
18    older whose household income does not exceed $20,000,
      adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price
19    Index.

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