Senate Study Bill 1066 



                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
                                            VETERANS AFFAIRS BILL
                                            BY CHAIRPERSON BEALL)


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to an additional homestead credit for disabled
  2    veterans and including effective and applicability date
  3    provisions.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 1276SC 83
  6 md/mg:sc/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  425.15A  DISABLED VETERAN TAX
  1  2 FREEZE.
  1  3    1.  For purposes of this section, unless the context
  1  4 otherwise requires:
  1  5    a.  "Base year" means the fiscal year immediately preceding
  1  6 the first fiscal year in which the additional homestead credit
  1  7 under this section is allowed on the disabled veteran's
  1  8 homestead.
  1  9    b.  "Disabled veteran" means either of the following:
  1 10    (1)  A veteran who is entitled to compensation or who, but
  1 11 for the receipt of military retirement pay, would be entitled
  1 12 to compensation under laws administered by the secretary of
  1 13 the United States department of veterans affairs.
  1 14    (2)  A person who was discharged or released from active
  1 15 duty because of a service=connected disability.
  1 16    2.  A disabled veteran who is eligible for the credit
  1 17 allowed under section 425.1 may claim an additional homestead
  1 18 credit pursuant to this section.  To claim the credit under
  1 19 this section, the disabled veteran shall file on or before
  1 20 June 30 of the base year for which the veteran is first
  1 21 claiming the credit.  The amount of the credit equals the
  1 22 amount of property taxes, less the regular homestead credit
  1 23 allowed under section 425.1, due and payable in the coming
  1 24 fiscal year that exceeds the amount of property taxes, less
  1 25 the regular homestead credit allowed under section 425.1, that
  1 26 were due and payable in the base year.  The credit under this
  1 27 section is payable from the homestead credit fund created in
  1 28 section 425.1.
  1 29    3.  Upon the filing and allowance of the claim, the claim
  1 30 shall be allowed on the disabled veteran's homestead for
  1 31 successive years without further filing as long as the
  1 32 property is legally and equitably owned and used as a
  1 33 homestead by the disabled veteran on July 1 of each of those
  1 34 successive years.  The credit allowed shall be continued to
  1 35 the estate of the disabled veteran who is deceased or the
  2  1 surviving spouse and any child, as defined in section 234.1,
  2  2 who are the beneficiaries of the deceased, disabled veteran,
  2  3 so long as the surviving spouse remains unmarried.
  2  4    Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of
  2  5 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment and applies
  2  6 to property taxes due and payable in fiscal years beginning on
  2  7 or after July 1, 2009.
  2  8                           EXPLANATION
  2  9    This bill provides that the property tax on a disabled
  2 10 veteran's homestead shall not increase from year to year.  To
  2 11 receive this credit, the veteran must file on or before June
  2 12 30 in a manner similar to filing for the regular homestead
  2 13 credit.  Once the claim is filed and allowed, the veteran does
  2 14 not have to file for successive years so long as the property
  2 15 is still owned and used by the veteran as a homestead.
  2 16    A disabled veteran is one who is entitled to compensation
  2 17 for injuries from active duty or would have received
  2 18 compensation but for retirement pay or is one who was
  2 19 discharged or released from active duty because of a
  2 20 service=connected disability.
  2 21    The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to
  2 22 property taxes due and payable in fiscal years beginning on or
  2 23 after July 1, 2009.
  2 24 LSB 1276SC 83
  2 25 md/mg:sc/5