The proposed legislation, General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5286, seeks to amend Section 12-81x of the general statutes to extend property tax abatement benefits to the surviving domestic partners of police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians who die in the line of duty. The bill allows municipalities to establish, by ordinance, a program that abates all or a portion of property taxes for the principal residence of these surviving domestic partners, in addition to the existing benefits for surviving spouses.

The key insertion in the bill is the inclusion of "or domestic partner, as defined by such ordinance," which expands the eligibility for tax abatement to domestic partners of first responders. The bill will take effect on October 1, 2026, and aims to provide additional support to the families of first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice in their service.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 12-81x