S 683: Establishes a real property tax exemption for the primary residences of surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 683 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to establishing a real property tax exemption for surviving spouses of police officers 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. Surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of 4 duty. 1. After the local legislative body of a county, city, town, or 5 village passes a local law, or a school district passes a resolution, 6 notwithstanding any other provision of law, real property owned by the 7 surviving spouse of a police officer killed in the line of duty, and 8 constituting the primary residence of such surviving spouse shall be 9 exempt from taxation to the extent of fifty per centum of the assessed 10 valuation thereof. Within such local law or resolution, the local legis- 11 lative body or school district may reduce the percentage of exemption 12 authorized pursuant to this section. 13 2. As used in this section, the term "police officer" shall have the 14 same meaning as defined in section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law. 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 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02742-01-5 
 S. 683 2 1 by their share or shares of stock in such corporation as determined by 2 its or their proportional relationship to the total outstanding stock of 3 the corporation, including that owned by the corporation, shall be 4 deemed to be vested in such tenant-stockholder. 5 (b) Provided that all other eligibility criteria of this section are 6 met, that proportion of the assessment of such real property owned by a 7 cooperative apartment corporation determined by the relationship of such 8 real property vested in such tenant-stockholder to such real property 9 owned by such cooperative apartment corporation in which such tenant- 10 stockholder resides shall be subject to exemption from taxation pursuant 11 to this section and any exemption so granted shall be credited by the 12 appropriate taxing authority against the assessed valuation of such real 13 property; the reduction in real property taxes realized thereby shall be 14 credited by the cooperative apartment corporation against the amount of 15 such taxes otherwise payable by or chargeable to such tenant-stockhold- 16 er. 17 (c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this subdivision, a tenant-stock- 18 holder who resides in a dwelling that is subject to the provisions of 19 either article two, four, five or eleven of the private housing finance 20 law shall not be eligible for an exemption pursuant to this section. 21 (d) Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this subdivision, real property 22 owned by a cooperative apartment corporation may be exempt from taxation 23 pursuant to this section by a municipality in which such real property 24 is located only if the governing body of such municipality, after public 25 hearing, adopts a local law, ordinance or resolution providing therefor. 26 5. The commissioner shall develop, in consultation with the commis- 27 sioner of criminal justice services, a listing of documents to be used 28 to establish eligibility under this section. Such information shall be 29 made available to each city, village, town, part town, special district 30 and county assessor's office. The listing of acceptable records shall be 31 made available on the internet websites of the division of criminal 32 justice services and the office of real property tax services. 33 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 34 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to 35 taxable status dates occurring on or after such date.