Bill Text: IL HB4308 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the homestead exemption for persons with disabilities, provides that, if the person with a disability is eligible to receive disability benefits under the federal Social Security Act and has a household income that does not exceed 200% of the federal poverty level, then the property is exempt from taxation under the Code. Effective immediately.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-05 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4308 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HB4308-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning revenue.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Property Tax Code is amended by changing | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | Section 15-168 as follows:
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6 | (35 ILCS 200/15-168) | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 15-168. Homestead exemption for persons with | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | disabilities. | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | (a) Beginning with taxable year 2007, an annual homestead | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | exemption is granted to persons with disabilities in the | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | amount of $2,000, except as provided in subsections subsection | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | (c) and (c-5) , to be deducted from the property's value as | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue. The person | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | with a disability shall receive the homestead exemption upon | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | meeting the following requirements: | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | (1) The property must be occupied as the primary | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | residence by the person with a disability. | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | (2) The person with a disability must be liable for | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | paying the real estate taxes on the property. | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | (3) The person with a disability must be an owner of | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | record of the property or have a legal or equitable | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | interest in the property as evidenced by a written | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | instrument. In the case of a leasehold interest in |
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1 | property, the lease must be for a single family residence. | ||||||
2 | A person who has a disability during the taxable year is | ||||||
3 | eligible to apply for this homestead exemption during that | ||||||
4 | taxable year. Application must be made during the application | ||||||
5 | period in effect for the county of residence. If a homestead | ||||||
6 | exemption has been granted under this Section and the person | ||||||
7 | awarded the exemption subsequently becomes a resident of a | ||||||
8 | facility licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act, the | ||||||
9 | Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, the | ||||||
10 | ID/DD Community Care Act, or the MC/DD Act, then the exemption | ||||||
11 | shall continue (i) so long as the residence continues to be | ||||||
12 | occupied by the qualifying person's spouse or (ii) if the | ||||||
13 | residence remains unoccupied but is still owned by the person | ||||||
14 | qualified for the homestead exemption. | ||||||
15 | (b) For the purposes of this Section, "person with a | ||||||
16 | disability" means a person unable to engage in any substantial | ||||||
17 | gainful activity by reason of a medically determinable | ||||||
18 | physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result | ||||||
19 | in death or has lasted or can be expected to last for a | ||||||
20 | continuous period of not less than 12 months. Persons with | ||||||
21 | disabilities filing claims under this Act shall submit proof | ||||||
22 | of disability in such form and manner as the Department shall | ||||||
23 | by rule and regulation prescribe. Proof that a claimant is | ||||||
24 | eligible to receive disability benefits under the Federal | ||||||
25 | Social Security Act shall constitute proof of disability for | ||||||
26 | purposes of this Act. Issuance of an Illinois Person with a |
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1 | Disability Identification Card stating that the claimant is | ||||||
2 | under a Class 2 disability, as defined in Section 4A of the | ||||||
3 | Illinois Identification Card Act, shall constitute proof that | ||||||
4 | the person named thereon is a person with a disability for | ||||||
5 | purposes of this Act. A person with a disability not covered | ||||||
6 | under the Federal Social Security Act and not presenting an | ||||||
7 | Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card stating | ||||||
8 | that the claimant is under a Class 2 disability shall be | ||||||
9 | examined by a physician, optometrist (if the person qualifies | ||||||
10 | because of a visual disability), advanced practice registered | ||||||
11 | nurse, or physician assistant designated by the Department, | ||||||
12 | and his status as a person with a disability determined using | ||||||
13 | the same standards as used by the Social Security | ||||||
14 | Administration. The costs of any required examination shall be | ||||||
15 | borne by the claimant. | ||||||
16 | (c) For land improved with (i) an apartment building owned | ||||||
17 | and operated as a cooperative or (ii) a life care facility as | ||||||
18 | defined under Section 2 of the Life Care Facilities Act that is | ||||||
19 | considered to be a cooperative, the maximum reduction from the | ||||||
20 | value of the property, as equalized or assessed by the | ||||||
21 | Department, shall be multiplied by the number of apartments or | ||||||
22 | units occupied by a person with a disability. The person with a | ||||||
23 | disability shall receive the homestead exemption upon meeting | ||||||
24 | the following requirements: | ||||||
25 | (1) The property must be occupied as the primary | ||||||
26 | residence by the person with a disability. |
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1 | (2) The person with a disability must be liable by | ||||||
2 | contract with the owner or owners of record for paying the | ||||||
3 | apportioned property taxes on the property of the | ||||||
4 | cooperative or life care facility. In the case of a life | ||||||
5 | care facility, the person with a disability must be liable | ||||||
6 | for paying the apportioned property taxes under a life | ||||||
7 | care contract as defined in Section 2 of the Life Care | ||||||
8 | Facilities Act. | ||||||
9 | (3) The person with a disability must be an owner of | ||||||
10 | record of a legal or equitable interest in the cooperative | ||||||
11 | apartment building. A leasehold interest does not meet | ||||||
12 | this requirement. | ||||||
13 | If a homestead exemption is granted under this subsection, the | ||||||
14 | cooperative association or management firm shall credit the | ||||||
15 | savings resulting from the exemption to the apportioned tax | ||||||
16 | liability of the qualifying person with a disability. The | ||||||
17 | chief county assessment officer may request reasonable proof | ||||||
18 | that the association or firm has properly credited the | ||||||
19 | exemption. A person who willfully refuses to credit an | ||||||
20 | exemption to the qualified person with a disability is guilty | ||||||
21 | of a Class B misdemeanor. | ||||||
22 | (c-5) Beginning with taxable year 2024, if the person with | ||||||
23 | a disability is eligible to receive disability benefits under | ||||||
24 | the federal Social Security Act and has a household income | ||||||
25 | that does not exceed 200% of the federal poverty level, then | ||||||
26 | the property is exempt from taxation under this Code. For the |
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1 | purposes of this subsection, the federal poverty level shall | ||||||
2 | be determined using the most recent poverty guidelines | ||||||
3 | available as of the first day of the taxable year, as those | ||||||
4 | guidelines are reported in the Federal Register by the United | ||||||
5 | States Department of Health and Human Services under the | ||||||
6 | authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). | ||||||
7 | (d) The chief county assessment officer shall determine | ||||||
8 | the eligibility of property to receive the homestead exemption | ||||||
9 | according to guidelines established by the Department. After a | ||||||
10 | person has received an exemption under this Section, an annual | ||||||
11 | verification of eligibility for the exemption shall be mailed | ||||||
12 | to the taxpayer. | ||||||
13 | In counties with fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants, the | ||||||
14 | chief county assessment officer shall provide to each person | ||||||
15 | granted a homestead exemption under this Section a form to | ||||||
16 | designate any other person to receive a duplicate of any | ||||||
17 | notice of delinquency in the payment of taxes assessed and | ||||||
18 | levied under this Code on the person's qualifying property. | ||||||
19 | The duplicate notice shall be in addition to the notice | ||||||
20 | required to be provided to the person receiving the exemption | ||||||
21 | and shall be given in the manner required by this Code. The | ||||||
22 | person filing the request for the duplicate notice shall pay | ||||||
23 | an administrative fee of $5 to the chief county assessment | ||||||
24 | officer. The assessment officer shall then file the executed | ||||||
25 | designation with the county collector, who shall issue the | ||||||
26 | duplicate notices as indicated by the designation. A |
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1 | designation may be rescinded by the person with a disability | ||||||
2 | in the manner required by the chief county assessment officer. | ||||||
3 | (d-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each | ||||||
4 | chief county assessment officer may approve this exemption for | ||||||
5 | the 2020 taxable year, without application, for any property | ||||||
6 | that was approved for this exemption for the 2019 taxable | ||||||
7 | year, provided that: | ||||||
8 | (1) the county board has declared a local disaster as | ||||||
9 | provided in the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act | ||||||
10 | related to the COVID-19 public health emergency; | ||||||
11 | (2) the owner of record of the property as of January | ||||||
12 | 1, 2020 is the same as the owner of record of the property | ||||||
13 | as of January 1, 2019; | ||||||
14 | (3) the exemption for the 2019 taxable year has not | ||||||
15 | been determined to be an erroneous exemption as defined by | ||||||
16 | this Code; and | ||||||
17 | (4) the applicant for the 2019 taxable year has not | ||||||
18 | asked for the exemption to be removed for the 2019 or 2020 | ||||||
19 | taxable years. | ||||||
20 | (d-10) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each | ||||||
21 | chief county assessment officer may approve this exemption for | ||||||
22 | the 2021 taxable year, without application, for any property | ||||||
23 | that was approved for this exemption for the 2020 taxable | ||||||
24 | year, if: | ||||||
25 | (1) the county board has declared a local disaster as | ||||||
26 | provided in the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act |
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1 | related to the COVID-19 public health emergency; | ||||||
2 | (2) the owner of record of the property as of January | ||||||
3 | 1, 2021 is the same as the owner of record of the property | ||||||
4 | as of January 1, 2020; | ||||||
5 | (3) the exemption for the 2020 taxable year has not | ||||||
6 | been determined to be an erroneous exemption as defined by | ||||||
7 | this Code; and | ||||||
8 | (4) the taxpayer for the 2020 taxable year has not | ||||||
9 | asked for the exemption to be removed for the 2020 or 2021 | ||||||
10 | taxable years. | ||||||
11 | (d-15) For taxable years 2022 through 2027, in any county | ||||||
12 | of more than 3,000,000 residents, and in any other county | ||||||
13 | where the county board has authorized such action by ordinance | ||||||
14 | or resolution, a chief county assessment officer may renew | ||||||
15 | this exemption for any person who applied for the exemption | ||||||
16 | and presented proof of eligibility, as described in subsection | ||||||
17 | (b), without an annual application as required under | ||||||
18 | subsection (d). A chief county assessment officer shall not | ||||||
19 | automatically renew an exemption under this subsection if: the | ||||||
20 | physician, advanced practice registered nurse, optometrist, or | ||||||
21 | physician assistant who examined the claimant determined that | ||||||
22 | the disability is not expected to continue for 12 months or | ||||||
23 | more; the exemption has been deemed erroneous since the last | ||||||
24 | application; or the claimant has reported their ineligibility | ||||||
25 | to receive the exemption. A chief county assessment officer | ||||||
26 | who automatically renews an exemption under this subsection |
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1 | shall notify a person of a subsequent determination not to | ||||||
2 | automatically renew that person's exemption and shall provide | ||||||
3 | that person with an application to renew the exemption. | ||||||
4 | (d-20) As used in this Section: | ||||||
5 | "Household" means the applicant, the spouse of the | ||||||
6 | applicant, and all persons using the residence of the | ||||||
7 | applicant as their principal place of residence. | ||||||
8 | "Household income" means the combined income of the | ||||||
9 | members of a household for the calendar year preceding the | ||||||
10 | taxable year. | ||||||
11 | "Income" has the same meaning as provided in Section 3.07 | ||||||
12 | of the Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities Property | ||||||
13 | Tax Relief Act. | ||||||
14 | "Person with a disability" means a person who is unable to | ||||||
15 | engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a | ||||||
16 | medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can | ||||||
17 | be expected to result in death or has lasted or can be expected | ||||||
18 | to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months. | ||||||
19 | (e) A taxpayer who claims an exemption under Section | ||||||
20 | 15-165 or 15-169 may not claim an exemption under this | ||||||
21 | Section. | ||||||
22 | (Source: P.A. 102-136, eff. 7-23-21; 102-895, eff. 5-23-22; | ||||||
23 | 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)
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