| 33 | 19 | | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:15 |
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| 34 | 20 | | H. B. 463 (SUB) |
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| 35 | 21 | | - 1 - 25 LC 50 1150S |
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| 36 | 22 | | (1) 'Ad valorem taxes' means all ad valorem taxes levied by, for, or on behalf of the state16 |
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| 37 | 23 | | or any county, consolidated government, municipality, or local school district in this17 |
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| 38 | 24 | | state, except for any ad valorem taxes levied to pay interest on and to retire bonded18 |
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| 39 | 25 | | indebtedness.19 |
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| 40 | 26 | | (2) 'Homestead' means homestead as defined and qualified in Code Section 48-5-40.20 |
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| 41 | 27 | | (3) 'Senior citizen' means a person who is 65 years of age or older on or before January 121 |
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| 42 | 28 | | of the year in which application for the exemption under subsection (b) of this Code22 |
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| 43 | 29 | | section is made.23 |
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| 44 | 30 | | (4) 'Volunteer work' means the performance of work by an individual as a volunteer, 24 |
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| 45 | 31 | | during the year prior to the year in which application for the exemption under subsection25 |
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| 46 | 32 | | (b) of this Code section is made, for the local government from which the applicant seeks26 |
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| 47 | 33 | | an exemption pursuant to this Code section.27 |
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| 48 | 34 | | (b)(1) Subject to local approval as provided for in paragraph (3) of this subsection, each28 |
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| 49 | 35 | | resident of this state who is a senior citizen is granted an exemption on that person's29 |
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| 50 | 36 | | homestead from ad valorem taxes in an amount as provided for pursuant to the ordinance30 |
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| 51 | 37 | | or resolution adopted pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection.31 |
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| 52 | 38 | | (2) Except as provided for in subsection (c) of this Code section, no exemption provided32 |
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| 53 | 39 | | for in this subsection shall transfer to any subsequent owner of the property, and the33 |
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| 54 | 40 | | assessed value of the property shall be as provided by law.34 |
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| 55 | 41 | | (3)(A) The exemption provided for in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not be35 |
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| 56 | 42 | | applicable to any county, consolidated government, municipality, or local school36 |
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| 57 | 43 | | district in this state until January 1 of the calendar year after which the governing37 |
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| 58 | 44 | | authority of the county, consolidated government, municipality, or local school district38 |
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| 59 | 45 | | adopts such exemption by ordinance or resolution as provided for in subparagraph (B)39 |
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| 60 | 46 | | of this paragraph.40 |
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| 61 | 47 | | (B) An ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph41 |
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| 62 | 48 | | shall include:42 |
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| 63 | 49 | | H. B. 463 (SUB) |
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| 64 | 50 | | - 2 - 25 LC 50 1150S |
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| 65 | 51 | | (i) The maximum dollar amount of the available exemption, which amount shall not43 |
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| 66 | 52 | | exceed the lesser of $500.00 or the total amount of the tax owed per year;44 |
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| 67 | 53 | | (ii) The maximum number of senior citizens who may claim the exemption in any45 |
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| 68 | 54 | | taxable year, or if there is no such maximum;46 |
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| 69 | 55 | | (iii) The hourly credit for volunteer work, which shall not exceed $10.00 per hour;47 |
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| 70 | 56 | | (iv) The date in each taxable year by which application shall be made for the48 |
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| 71 | 57 | | exemption; and49 |
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| 72 | 58 | | (v) The types of volunteer work that shall be eligible toward the exemption.50 |
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| 73 | 59 | | (c) The surviving spouse of the person who was granted the exemption provided for in51 |
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| 74 | 60 | | subsection (b) of this Code section shall continue to receive such exemption so long as such52 |
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| 75 | 61 | | surviving spouse continues to occupy the residence as a homestead.53 |
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| 76 | 62 | | (d) A person shall not receive the homestead exemption provided for in subsection (b) of54 |
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| 77 | 63 | | this Code section for any taxable year unless and until such person or such person's agent55 |
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| 78 | 64 | | annually files an application with the tax receiver or tax commissioner that person's56 |
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| 79 | 65 | | respective local government or governments charged with the duty of receiving returns of57 |
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| 80 | 66 | | property for taxation. Such application shall provide the person's age and such additional58 |
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| 81 | 67 | | information relative to receiving such exemption as will enable such tax receiver or tax59 |
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| 82 | 68 | | commissioner to make a determination regarding the eligibility of such person for such60 |
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| 83 | 69 | | exemption. Such tax receiver or tax commissioner shall provide application forms for this61 |
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| 84 | 70 | | purpose.62 |
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| 85 | 71 | | (e) The exemption provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section shall be claimed and63 |
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| 86 | 72 | | returned as provided in Code Section 48-5-50.1. It shall be the duty of any person granted64 |
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| 87 | 73 | | such homestead exemption to notify the tax receiver or tax commissioner of the local65 |
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| 88 | 74 | | government or governments charged with the duty of receiving returns of property for66 |
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| 89 | 75 | | taxation in the event such person for any reason becomes ineligible for such exemption.67 |
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| 90 | 76 | | (f) The exemption provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section shall be in addition68 |
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| 91 | 77 | | to and not in lieu of any other homestead exemption applicable to ad valorem taxes.69 |
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| 92 | 78 | | H. B. 463 (SUB) |
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| 93 | 79 | | - 3 - 25 LC 50 1150S |
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| 94 | 80 | | (g) The exemption provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section shall apply to all70 |
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| 95 | 81 | | taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2027."71 |
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| 96 | 82 | | SECTION 2.72 |
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| 97 | 83 | | In accordance with the requirements of Article VII, Section II of the Constitution of the State73 |
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| 98 | 84 | | of Georgia, this Act shall not become law unless it receives the requisite two-thirds' majority74 |
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| 99 | 85 | | vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.75 |
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| 100 | 86 | | SECTION 3.76 |
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| 101 | 87 | | The Secretary of State shall call and conduct an election as provided in this section for the77 |
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| 102 | 88 | | purpose of submitting this Act to the electors of the entire state for approval or rejection. The78 |
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| 103 | 89 | | Secretary of State shall conduct such election on the Tuesday next following the first79 |
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| 104 | 90 | | Monday in November, 2026, and shall issue the call and conduct such election as provided80 |
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| 105 | 91 | | by general law. The Secretary of State shall cause the date and purpose of the election to be81 |
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| 106 | 92 | | published once a week for two weeks immediately preceding the date thereof in the official82 |
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| 107 | 93 | | organ of each county in the state. The ballot shall have written or printed thereon the words:83 |
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| 108 | 94 | | "( ) YES84 |
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| 109 | 95 | | ( ) NO85 |
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| 110 | 96 | | 86 |
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| 111 | 97 | | 87 |
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| 112 | 98 | | 88 |
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| 113 | 99 | | 89 |
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| 114 | 100 | | Shall the Act be approved which provides a state-wide homestead |
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| 115 | 101 | | exemption from ad valorem taxes for certain senior citizens who volunteer |
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| 116 | 102 | | with local governments in an amount to be determined by such local |
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| 117 | 103 | | governments, but not to exceed the lesser of $500.00 or the total amount of |
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| 118 | 104 | | the tax owed per year, subject to approval of and enactment of additional |
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| 119 | 105 | | terms and conditions by the applicable local governing authority?" |
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