1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session Senate Bill 568 Sponsored by Senator ANDERSON (Presession filed.) SUMMARY The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability standards. Digest: The Act would grant a specially assessed property tax value for the homes of people who are at least 70 years old. The Act would sunset after six years, but a home in the program that remained eligible would be able to stay in it past the sunset.(Flesch Readability Score: 67.9). Provides, for purposes of ad valorem property taxation, a specially assessed value for the homestead of individuals who are at least 70 years old. Sunsets the program after six years. Maintains the specially assessed value for homesteads granted the specially assessed value before the sunset date as long as the homesteads continue to qualify for it. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die. A BILL FOR AN ACT Relating to a specially assessed value for the homesteads of seniors; and prescribing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a homestead, as defined in ORS 311.666, owned or co-owned by an individual who is at least 70 years old who has filed a valid claim under subsection (4) of this section shall have a specially assessed value de- termined under subsection (2) of this section. (2)(a) The specially assessed value of a homestead to which a valid claim relates shall equal the real market value of the homestead as shown on the tax statement delivered pur- suant to ORS 311.250 for the property tax year immediately preceding the first property tax year to which a valid claim filed under subsection (4) of this section relates. (b) For the first property tax year for which the homestead is assessed under this sec- tion, the homestead’s maximum specially assessed value shall equal the product of the spe- cially assessed value multiplied by the ratio, not greater than 1.00, of the maximum assessed value the homestead would have had for the applicable property tax year if it were not spe- cially assessed to the real market value of the homestead for the applicable property tax year. (c) For each year after the first property tax year for which the homestead is specially assessed under this section and before disqualification from the specially assessed value, the homestead’s maximum specially assessed value shall equal the greater of 103 percent of the homestead’s assessed value from the prior property tax year or 100 percent of the homestead’s maximum specially assessed value from the prior property tax year. (3) The assessed value of the homestead for any property tax year during which the homestead is granted a specially assessed value under this section shall be the least of: (a) The homestead’s maximum specially assessed value as determined under subsection (2) of this section; NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted. New sections are in boldfaced type. LC 1327 SB568 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 (b) The homestead’s real market value; or (c) The homestead’s specially assessed value as determined under subsection (2) of this section. (4)(a) An individual’s claim for a specially assessed value for a homestead under this sectionmust: (A) Be in writing on a form supplied by the Department of Revenue; (B) Describe the homestead; (C) Recite all facts establishing the eligibility of the homestead for, and of the individual to claim, the specially assessed value; and (D) Have attached: (i) Any documentary proof required by the department; and (ii) A written declaration by the individual that the statements contained in the claim aretrue. (b) The claim must be filed with the assessor of the county in which the homestead is located after January 1 and on or before April 15 immediately preceding the property tax year for which the specially assessed value is claimed. (c) If the county assessor determines that the homestead is eligible for, and the individ- ual is eligible to claim, the specially assessed value, the county assessor shall determine the total amount of taxes due on the individual’s homestead in accordance with this section. (5) Any individual aggrieved by the denial of a claim for the specially assessed value un- der this section may appeal to the Oregon Tax Court in the manner provided by ORS 305.404 to 305.560. (6) The specially assessed value under this section is in addition to and not in lieu of any other property tax limit, exemption or partial exemption, special assessment or deferral. (7)(a) If, as of January 1 of the assessment year, any of the circumstances listed in par- agraph (b) of this subsection have occurred since the immediately preceding January 1, the homesteadshall: (A) Have, for the immediately succeeding property tax year, a maximum assessed value as determined under ORS 308.156 (5); and (B) Be assessed and taxed as other property similarly situated is assessed and taxed. (b) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (a) of this subsection are: (A) The individual who claimed the specially assessed value on the homestead dies or, if there was more than one claimant, the survivor of the individual who originally claimed the specially assessed value dies. (B) The homestead granted the specially assessed value is sold, a contract to sell is en- tered into or a person other than the individual who claimed the specially assessed value, including a transferee, becomes the owner of the homestead. (C) The homestead is no longer the owner-occupied primary homestead of any individual who claimed the specially assessed value, except in the case of an individual required to be absent from the homestead by reason of health. (D) The homestead granted the specially assessed value is a manufactured structure or floating home and has been moved out of the state. (E) New property or new improvements as defined in ORS 308.149 have been added to the tax account of the homestead that has been granted the specially assessed value. SECTION 2. Section 1 of this 2025 Act applies to property tax years beginning on or after [2] SB568 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 July 1, 2026. SECTION 3. (1) A claim for specially assessed value under section 1 of this 2025 Act may not be made for a property tax year that begins on or after July 1, 2032. (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a homestead granted a specially as- sessed value under section 1 of this 2025 Act for any property tax year that begins before July 1, 2032, shall continue to have the specially assessed value as long as the homestead remains eligible for, and the individual granted the claim for the specially assessed value remains eligible to claim, the specially assessed value. SECTION 4.This 2025 Act takes effect on the 91st day after the date on which the 2025 regular session of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly adjourns sine die. [3]