103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1154 Introduced , by Rep. Norine K. Hammond SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 35 ILCS 200/15-169 Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the surviving spouse of a veteran who has a service connected disability of 100% and is deemed to be permanently and totally disabled need not reapply for the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities. Effective immediately. LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1154 Introduced , by Rep. Norine K. Hammond SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 35 ILCS 200/15-169 35 ILCS 200/15-169 Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the surviving spouse of a veteran who has a service connected disability of 100% and is deemed to be permanently and totally disabled need not reapply for the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities. Effective immediately. LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1154 Introduced , by Rep. Norine K. Hammond SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 35 ILCS 200/15-169 35 ILCS 200/15-169 35 ILCS 200/15-169 Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the surviving spouse of a veteran who has a service connected disability of 100% and is deemed to be permanently and totally disabled need not reapply for the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities. Effective immediately. LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b A BILL FOR HB1154LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b 1 AN ACT concerning revenue. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Property Tax Code is amended by changing 5 Section 15-169 as follows: 6 (35 ILCS 200/15-169) 7 Sec. 15-169. Homestead exemption for veterans with 8 disabilities. 9 (a) Beginning with taxable year 2007, an annual homestead 10 exemption, limited to the amounts set forth in subsections (b) 11 and (b-3), is granted for property that is used as a qualified 12 residence by a veteran with a disability. 13 (b) For taxable years prior to 2015, the amount of the 14 exemption under this Section is as follows: 15 (1) for veterans with a service-connected disability 16 of at least (i) 75% for exemptions granted in taxable 17 years 2007 through 2009 and (ii) 70% for exemptions 18 granted in taxable year 2010 and each taxable year 19 thereafter, as certified by the United States Department 20 of Veterans Affairs, the annual exemption is $5,000; and 21 (2) for veterans with a service-connected disability 22 of at least 50%, but less than (i) 75% for exemptions 23 granted in taxable years 2007 through 2009 and (ii) 70% 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1154 Introduced , by Rep. Norine K. Hammond SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 35 ILCS 200/15-169 35 ILCS 200/15-169 35 ILCS 200/15-169 Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the surviving spouse of a veteran who has a service connected disability of 100% and is deemed to be permanently and totally disabled need not reapply for the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities. Effective immediately. LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b A BILL FOR 35 ILCS 200/15-169 LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154- 2 -LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 2 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 2 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b 1 for exemptions granted in taxable year 2010 and each 2 taxable year thereafter, as certified by the United States 3 Department of Veterans Affairs, the annual exemption is 4 $2,500. 5 (b-3) For taxable years 2015 and thereafter: 6 (1) if the veteran has a service connected disability 7 of 30% or more but less than 50%, as certified by the 8 United States Department of Veterans Affairs, then the 9 annual exemption is $2,500; 10 (2) if the veteran has a service connected disability 11 of 50% or more but less than 70%, as certified by the 12 United States Department of Veterans Affairs, then the 13 annual exemption is $5,000; 14 (3) if the veteran has a service connected disability 15 of 70% or more, as certified by the United States 16 Department of Veterans Affairs, then the property is 17 exempt from taxation under this Code; and 18 (4) for taxable year 2023 and thereafter, if the 19 taxpayer is the surviving spouse of a veteran whose death 20 was determined to be service-connected and who is 21 certified by the United States Department of Veterans 22 Affairs as a recipient of dependency and indemnity 23 compensation under federal law, then the property is also 24 exempt from taxation under this Code. 25 (b-5) If a homestead exemption is granted under this 26 Section and the person awarded the exemption subsequently HB1154 - 2 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154- 3 -LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 3 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 3 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b 1 becomes a resident of a facility licensed under the Nursing 2 Home Care Act or a facility operated by the United States 3 Department of Veterans Affairs, then the exemption shall 4 continue (i) so long as the residence continues to be occupied 5 by the qualifying person's spouse or (ii) if the residence 6 remains unoccupied but is still owned by the person who 7 qualified for the homestead exemption. 8 (c) The tax exemption under this Section carries over to 9 the benefit of the veteran's surviving spouse as long as the 10 spouse holds the legal or beneficial title to the homestead, 11 permanently resides thereon, and does not remarry. If the 12 surviving spouse sells the property, an exemption not to 13 exceed the amount granted from the most recent ad valorem tax 14 roll may be transferred to his or her new residence as long as 15 it is used as his or her primary residence and he or she does 16 not remarry. 17 As used in this subsection (c): 18 (1) for taxable years prior to 2015, "surviving 19 spouse" means the surviving spouse of a veteran who 20 obtained an exemption under this Section prior to his or 21 her death; 22 (2) for taxable years 2015 through 2022, "surviving 23 spouse" means (i) the surviving spouse of a veteran who 24 obtained an exemption under this Section prior to his or 25 her death and (ii) the surviving spouse of a veteran who 26 was killed in the line of duty at any time prior to the HB1154 - 3 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154- 4 -LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 4 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 4 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b 1 expiration of the application period in effect for the 2 exemption for the taxable year for which the exemption is 3 sought; and 4 (3) for taxable year 2023 and thereafter, "surviving 5 spouse" means: (i) the surviving spouse of a veteran who 6 obtained the exemption under this Section prior to his or 7 her death; (ii) the surviving spouse of a veteran who was 8 killed in the line of duty at any time prior to the 9 expiration of the application period in effect for the 10 exemption for the taxable year for which the exemption is 11 sought; (iii) the surviving spouse of a veteran who did 12 not obtain an exemption under this Section before death, 13 but who would have qualified for the exemption under this 14 Section in the taxable year for which the exemption is 15 sought if he or she had survived, and whose surviving 16 spouse has been a resident of Illinois from the time of the 17 veteran's death through the taxable year for which the 18 exemption is sought; and (iv) the surviving spouse of a 19 veteran whose death was determined to be 20 service-connected, but who would not otherwise qualify 21 under item items (i), (ii), or (iii), if the spouse (A) is 22 certified by the United States Department of Veterans 23 Affairs as a recipient of dependency and indemnity 24 compensation under federal law at any time prior to the 25 expiration of the application period in effect for the 26 exemption for the taxable year for which the exemption is HB1154 - 4 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154- 5 -LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 5 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 5 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b 1 sought and (B) remains eligible for that dependency and 2 indemnity compensation as of January 1 of the taxable year 3 for which the exemption is sought. 4 (c-1) Beginning with taxable year 2015, nothing in this 5 Section shall require the veteran to have qualified for or 6 obtained the exemption before death if the veteran was killed 7 in the line of duty. 8 (d) The exemption under this Section applies for taxable 9 year 2007 and thereafter. A taxpayer who claims an exemption 10 under Section 15-165 or 15-168 may not claim an exemption 11 under this Section. 12 (e) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (e), 13 each taxpayer who has been granted an exemption under this 14 Section must reapply on an annual basis. Application must be 15 made during the application period in effect for the county of 16 his or her residence. The assessor or chief county assessment 17 officer may determine the eligibility of residential property 18 to receive the homestead exemption provided by this Section by 19 application, visual inspection, questionnaire, or other 20 reasonable methods. The determination must be made in 21 accordance with guidelines established by the Department. 22 On and after May 23, 2022 (the effective date of Public Act 23 102-895) this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, if 24 a veteran has a combined service connected disability rating 25 of 100% and is deemed to be permanently and totally disabled, 26 as certified by the United States Department of Veterans HB1154 - 5 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154- 6 -LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 6 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 6 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b 1 Affairs, then that veteran, or that veteran's surviving 2 spouse, the taxpayer who has been granted an exemption under 3 this Section shall no longer be required to reapply for the 4 exemption on an annual basis, and the exemption shall be in 5 effect for as long as the exemption would otherwise be 6 permitted under this Section. 7 (e-1) If the person qualifying for the exemption does not 8 occupy the qualified residence as of January 1 of the taxable 9 year, the exemption granted under this Section shall be 10 prorated on a monthly basis. The prorated exemption shall 11 apply beginning with the first complete month in which the 12 person occupies the qualified residence. 13 (e-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each 14 chief county assessment officer may approve this exemption for 15 the 2020 taxable year, without application, for any property 16 that was approved for this exemption for the 2019 taxable 17 year, provided that: 18 (1) the county board has declared a local disaster as 19 provided in the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act 20 related to the COVID-19 public health emergency; 21 (2) the owner of record of the property as of January 22 1, 2020 is the same as the owner of record of the property 23 as of January 1, 2019; 24 (3) the exemption for the 2019 taxable year has not 25 been determined to be an erroneous exemption as defined by 26 this Code; and HB1154 - 6 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154- 7 -LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 7 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 7 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b 1 (4) the applicant for the 2019 taxable year has not 2 asked for the exemption to be removed for the 2019 or 2020 3 taxable years. 4 Nothing in this subsection shall preclude a veteran whose 5 service connected disability rating has changed since the 2019 6 exemption was granted from applying for the exemption based on 7 the subsequent service connected disability rating. 8 (e-10) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each 9 chief county assessment officer may approve this exemption for 10 the 2021 taxable year, without application, for any property 11 that was approved for this exemption for the 2020 taxable 12 year, if: 13 (1) the county board has declared a local disaster as 14 provided in the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act 15 related to the COVID-19 public health emergency; 16 (2) the owner of record of the property as of January 17 1, 2021 is the same as the owner of record of the property 18 as of January 1, 2020; 19 (3) the exemption for the 2020 taxable year has not 20 been determined to be an erroneous exemption as defined by 21 this Code; and 22 (4) the taxpayer for the 2020 taxable year has not 23 asked for the exemption to be removed for the 2020 or 2021 24 taxable years. 25 Nothing in this subsection shall preclude a veteran whose 26 service connected disability rating has changed since the 2020 HB1154 - 7 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154- 8 -LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 8 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b HB1154 - 8 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b 1 exemption was granted from applying for the exemption based on 2 the subsequent service connected disability rating. 3 (f) For the purposes of this Section: 4 "Qualified residence" means real property, but less any 5 portion of that property that is used for commercial purposes, 6 with an equalized assessed value of less than $250,000 that is 7 the primary residence of a veteran with a disability. Property 8 rented for more than 6 months is presumed to be used for 9 commercial purposes. 10 "Veteran" means an Illinois resident who has served as a 11 member of the United States Armed Forces on active duty or 12 State active duty, a member of the Illinois National Guard, or 13 a member of the United States Reserve Forces and who has 14 received an honorable discharge. 15 (Source: P.A. 101-635, eff. 6-5-20; 102-136, eff. 7-23-21; 16 102-895, eff. 5-23-22; revised 9-6-22.) 17 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 18 becoming law. HB1154 - 8 - LRB103 04690 HLH 49699 b