Florida Senate - 2017 SENATOR AMENDMENT Bill No. HJR 7105 Ì822134yÎ822134 LEGISLATIVE ACTION Senate . House . . . Floor: 2/F/3R . 05/01/2017 01:42 PM . ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Senator Gibson moved the following: 1 Senate Amendment (with ballot and title amendments) 2 3 Delete lines 28 - 128 4 and insert: 5 dollars and up to seventy-five thousand dollars, and on the 6 assessed valuation greater than one hundred thousand dollars and 7 up to one hundred twelve thousand five hundred dollars, upon 8 establishment of right thereto in the manner prescribed by law. 9 The real estate may be held by legal or equitable title, by the 10 entireties, jointly, in common, as a condominium, or indirectly 11 by stock ownership or membership representing the owner’s or 12 member’s proprietary interest in a corporation owning a fee or a 13 leasehold initially in excess of ninety-eight years. The 14 exemption shall not apply with respect to any assessment roll 15 until such roll is first determined to be in compliance with the 16 provisions of section 4 by a state agency designated by general 17 law. This exemption is repealed on the effective date of any 18 amendment to this Article which provides for the assessment of 19 homestead property at less than just value. 20 (b) Not more than one exemption shall be allowed any 21 individual or family unit or with respect to any residential 22 unit. No exemption shall exceed the value of the real estate 23 assessable to the owner or, in case of ownership through stock 24 or membership in a corporation, the value of the proportion 25 which the interest in the corporation bears to the assessed 26 value of the property. 27 (c) By general law and subject to conditions specified 28 therein, the Legislature may provide to renters, who are 29 permanent residents, ad valorem tax relief on all ad valorem tax 30 levies. Such ad valorem tax relief shall be in the form and 31 amount established by general law. 32 (d) The legislature may, by general law, allow counties or 33 municipalities, for the purpose of their respective tax levies 34 and subject to the provisions of general law, to grant either or 35 both of the following additional homestead tax exemptions: 36 (1) An exemption not exceeding fifty thousand dollars to a 37 person who has the legal or equitable title to real estate and 38 maintains thereon the permanent residence of the owner, who has 39 attained age sixty-five, and whose household income, as defined 40 by general law, does not exceed twenty thousand dollars; or 41 (2) An exemption equal to the assessed value of the 42 property to a person who has the legal or equitable title to 43 real estate with a just value less than two hundred and fifty 44 thousand dollars, as determined in the first tax year that the 45 owner applies and is eligible for the exemption, and who has 46 maintained thereon the permanent residence of the owner for not 47 less than twenty-five years, who has attained age sixty-five, 48 and whose household income does not exceed the income limitation 49 prescribed in paragraph (1). 50 51 The general law must allow counties and municipalities to grant 52 these additional exemptions, within the limits prescribed in 53 this subsection, by ordinance adopted in the manner prescribed 54 by general law, and must provide for the periodic adjustment of 55 the income limitation prescribed in this subsection for changes 56 in the cost of living. 57 (e) Each veteran who is age 65 or older who is partially or 58 totally permanently disabled shall receive a discount from the 59 amount of the ad valorem tax otherwise owed on homestead 60 property the veteran owns and resides in if the disability was 61 combat related and the veteran was honorably discharged upon 62 separation from military service. The discount shall be in a 63 percentage equal to the percentage of the veteran’s permanent, 64 service-connected disability as determined by the United States 65 Department of Veterans Affairs. To qualify for the discount 66 granted by this subsection, an applicant must submit to the 67 county property appraiser, by March 1, an official letter from 68 the United States Department of Veterans Affairs stating the 69 percentage of the veteran’s service-connected disability and 70 such evidence that reasonably identifies the disability as 71 combat related and a copy of the veteran’s honorable discharge. 72 If the property appraiser denies the request for a discount, the 73 appraiser must notify the applicant in writing of the reasons 74 for the denial, and the veteran may reapply. The Legislature 75 may, by general law, waive the annual application requirement in 76 subsequent years. This subsection is self-executing and does not 77 require implementing legislation. 78 (f) By general law and subject to conditions and 79 limitations specified therein, the Legislature may provide ad 80 valorem tax relief equal to the total amount or a portion of the 81 ad valorem tax otherwise owed on homestead property to: 82 (1) The surviving spouse of a veteran who died from 83 service-connected causes while on active duty as a member of the 84 United States Armed Forces. 85 (2) The surviving spouse of a first responder who died in 86 the line of duty. 87 (3) A first responder who is totally and permanently 88 disabled as a result of an injury or injuries sustained in the 89 line of duty. Causal connection between a disability and service 90 in the line of duty shall not be presumed but must be determined 91 as provided by general law. For purposes of this paragraph, the 92 term “disability” does not include a chronic condition or 93 chronic disease, unless the injury sustained in the line of duty 94 was the sole cause of the chronic condition or chronic disease. 95 96 As used in this subsection and as further defined by general 97 law, the term “first responder” means a law enforcement officer, 98 a correctional officer, a firefighter, an emergency medical 99 technician, or a paramedic, and the term “in the line of duty” 100 means arising out of and in the actual performance of duty 101 required by employment as a first responder. 102 ARTICLE XII 103 SCHEDULE 104 SECTION 37. Increased homestead exemption.—This section and 105 the amendment to Section 6 of Article VII increasing the 106 homestead exemption by exempting the assessed valuation of 107 homestead property greater than $100,000 and up to $112,500 for 108 109 ====== B A L L O T S T A T E M E N T A M E N D M E N T ====== 110 And the ballot statement is amended as follows: 111 Delete line 139 112 and insert: 113 property greater than $100,000 and up to $112,500 for all levies 114 115 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================ 116 And the title is amended as follows: 117 Delete lines 6 - 7 118 and insert: 119 valuation of homestead property greater than $100,000 120 and up to $112,500 for all levies other than school