The bill amends the General Property Tax Act to expand the tax exemption for real property used as a homestead by certain individuals. Specifically, it clarifies that real property owned by any disabled veteran, the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran, and the surviving spouse of a veteran or member of the United States Armed Forces who is entitled to dependency and indemnity compensation due to a service-connected disability is exempt from property taxes. The exemption for the surviving spouse continues as long as they do not remarry and applies to any homestead property they acquire after the veteran's death.

Additionally, the bill outlines the process for obtaining the exemption, requiring eligible individuals or their legal designees to file an application with the local assessing officer. It specifies that the taxes must be canceled for any year in which an eligible individual acquires title to exempt property. The bill also includes provisions for prorating the exemption if the property is not used as a homestead for the entire tax year and defines key terms such as "disabled veteran," "own," and "veteran." Overall, the amendments aim to provide clearer guidelines and broaden the scope of property tax exemptions for veterans and their families.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 211.7