Amendment ID: S2325-17

Amendment 17

Veteran Property Tax Abatement Study

Messrs. Tarr and O'Connor move to amend the amendment by adding the following section:-

Section _. The department of veterans’ services, in conjunction with the department of revenue, shall study the feasibility and analyze the merits of implementing a sliding scale property tax abatement for veterans and spouses, currently implemented under clause 22 of section 5 of chapter 59, based upon a percentage of disability as defined by the United State Department of Veterans Affairs.  The study shall include, but not be limited to, the methodology of granting such exemption in other states, the utilization of a sliding scale based on the percentage of disability of the veteran for the awarding of such exemption to veterans and spouses, the impact on disabled veterans and any anticipated monetary cost to the commonwealth or to municipalities that the exemption may cause.  The department of veterans’ services, in conjunction with the department of revenue, shall submit its findings and legislative recommendations to the clerks of the house and senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on veterans and federal affairs not later than March 15, 2017.