This bill amends current New Jersey law to authorize a proportional property tax exemption for honorably discharged veterans with service-connected permanent disabilities, including those suffering from mental illness. The legislation allows veterans to receive a tax exemption proportional to their percentage of disability, up to 100 percent, as determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Additionally, it expands eligibility for the exemption to include the surviving civil union partners and domestic partners of disabled veterans, allowing them to maintain the exemption until they enter into a new civil union, establish a new domestic partnership, or remarry.
The bill also revises the language in existing statutes, replacing "Veterans'" with "Veterans Affairs" and clarifying the definitions of mental illness, surviving civil union partner, and surviving domestic partner. It ensures that surviving partners can claim the property tax exemption even if the veteran's disability is declared posthumously. Overall, the bill aims to provide broader financial support to veterans and their families by enhancing property tax relief measures.
Statutes affected: Introduced: 54:4-3.30, 54:4-3.31, 54:4-3.32