S 696: Authorizes a real property tax exemption for certain eligible reservists upon adoption of a local law, ordinance or resolution providing therefor; requires property of such eligible reservists to be the primary residence; requires such reservist must have retained active duty status for at least 90 consecutive days to claim such tax exemption.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 696 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. GALLIVAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi- ty and Military Affairs AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to tax exemptions for certain eligible reservists 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 458-d to read as follows: 3 § 458-d. Exemption for certain reservists. 1. For purposes of this 4 section, "eligible reservist" means a member of a reserve component of 5 the armed forces of the United States ordered to active duty by the 6 president of the United States. 7 2. Real property owned by an eligible reservist or such reservist's 8 spouse shall be exempt from taxation of such property for city, village, 9 town, part town, special district or county purposes, exclusive of 10 special assessments, provided that the governing body of a city, 11 village, town or county, after a public hearing, adopts a local law, 12 ordinance or resolution providing therefor. 13 3. Such exemption shall not be granted to an eligible reservist or 14 such reservist's spouse residing in such county unless: 15 (a) the property is the primary residence of the applicant; 16 (b) the property is used exclusively for residential purposes; 17 provided, however, that in the event any portion of such property is not 18 used exclusively for the applicant's residence but is used for other 19 purposes, such portion shall be subject to taxation and the remaining 20 portion only shall be entitled to the exemption provided by this 21 section; and 22 (c) the eligible reservist retained active duty status for at least 23 ninety consecutive days within the immediately preceding calendar year EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02608-01-5 
 S. 696 2 1 in which such eligible reservist is requesting the exemption as author- 2 ized by this section. 3 4. Any eligible reservist shall be granted the exemption as authorized 4 by this section for the period of active duty status as long as the 5 primary residence is located within a village, town or county in which 6 the governing body of such village, town or county, after a public hear- 7 ing, adopts a local law, ordinance or resolution providing for such 8 exemption. 9 5. Application for such exemption shall be filed with the assessor or 10 other agency, department or office designated by the municipality offer- 11 ing such exemption on or before the taxable status date on a form as 12 prescribed by the commissioner. 13 6. No applicant who is an eligible reservist who by reason of such 14 status is receiving any benefit under the provisions of this article on 15 the effective date of this section shall suffer any diminution of such 16 benefit because of the provisions of this section. 17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately, and shall apply to 18 assessment rolls prepared on the basis of taxable status dates occurring 19 on or after January 1, 2027.