A 4299: Establishes a real property tax exemption for the primary residences of widowed spouses of firefighters killed in the line of duty.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4299 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. JENSEN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Real Property Taxation AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to establishing a real property tax exemption for widowed spouses of firefighters killed in the line of duty The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The real property tax law is amended by adding a new 2 section 471 to read as follows: 3 § 471. Widowed spouses of firefighters killed in the line of duty. 1. 4 Real property owned by a widowed spouse of a firefighter killed in the 5 line of duty, and constituting the primary residence of such widowed 6 spouse shall be deemed fully exempt from all taxes imposed upon such 7 property for city, village, town, part town, special district or county 8 purposes, provided that the governing body of a city, village, town or 9 county, after a public hearing, adopts a local law, ordinance or resol- 10 ution providing therefor. 11 2. As used in this section, the term "firefighter" shall mean an 12 enrolled member of an incorporated volunteer fire company or fire 13 department, municipal fire company or fire department, and any person 14 otherwise employed as a firefighter. 15 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the 16 provisions of this section shall apply to any real property held in 17 trust solely for the benefit of a person or persons who would otherwise 18 be eligible for a real property tax exemption, pursuant to subdivision 19 one of this section, were such person or persons the owner or owners of 20 such real property. 21 4. (a) For the purposes of this section, title to that portion of real 22 property owned by a cooperative apartment corporation in which a 23 tenant-stockholder of such corporation resides and which is represented 24 by their share or shares of stock in such corporation as determined by EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD08304-01-5 
 A. 4299 2 1 its or their proportional relationship to the total outstanding stock of 2 the corporation, including that owned by the corporation, shall be 3 deemed to be vested in such tenant-stockholder. 4 (b) Provided that all other eligibility criteria of this section are 5 met, that proportion of the assessment of such real property owned by a 6 cooperative apartment corporation determined by the relationship of such 7 real property vested in such tenant-stockholder to such real property 8 owned by such cooperative apartment corporation in which such tenant- 9 stockholder resides shall be subject to exemption from taxation pursuant 10 to this section and any exemption so granted shall be credited by the 11 appropriate taxing authority against the assessed valuation of such real 12 property; the reduction in real property taxes realized thereby shall be 13 credited by the cooperative apartment corporation against the amount of 14 such taxes otherwise payable by or chargeable to such tenant-stockhold- 15 er. 16 (c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this subdivision, a tenant-stock- 17 holder who resides in a dwelling that is subject to the provisions of 18 either article two, four, five or eleven of the private housing finance 19 law shall not be eligible for an exemption pursuant to this section. 20 (d) Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this subdivision, real property 21 owned by a cooperative apartment corporation may be exempt from taxation 22 pursuant to this section by a municipality in which such real property 23 is located only if the governing body of such municipality, after public 24 hearing, adopts a local law, ordinance or resolution providing therefor. 25 5. The commissioner shall develop, in consultation with the state fire 26 administrator, a listing of documents to be used to establish eligibil- 27 ity under this section. Such information shall be made available to each 28 city, village, town, part town, special district and county assessor's 29 office. The listing of acceptable records shall be made available on the 30 internet websites of the state fire administrator and the office of real 31 property tax services. 32 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 33 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to 34 taxable status dates occurring on or after such date.