Senate Bill sb0472
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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SJR 472
    By Senator Mitchell
    4-216-01
  1                 Senate Joint Resolution No. ____
  2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to
  3         Section 6 of Article VII of the State
  4         Constitution, relating to finance and taxation,
  5         to allow the Legislature to exempt from ad
  6         valorem taxation the homestead of a person who
  7         becomes totally and permanently disabled in the
  8         line of duty as a full-time, part-time, or
  9         auxiliary law enforcement officer, correctional
10         officer, or correctional probation officer, or
11         as a full-time professional firefighter.
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13  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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15         That the following amendment to Section 6 of Article
16  VII of the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be
17  submitted to the electors of this state for approval or
18  rejection at the next general election or at an earlier
19  special election specifically authorized by law for that
20  purpose:
21                           ARTICLE VII
22                       FINANCE AND TAXATION
23         SECTION 6.  Homestead exemptions.--
24         (a)  Every person who has the legal or equitable title
25  to real estate and maintains thereon the permanent residence
26  of the owner, or another legally or naturally dependent upon
27  the owner, shall be exempt from taxation thereon, except
28  assessments for special benefits, up to the assessed valuation
29  of five thousand dollars, upon establishment of right thereto
30  in the manner prescribed by law.  The real estate may be held
31  by legal or equitable title, by the entireties, jointly, in
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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SJR 472
    4-216-01
  1  common, as a condominium, or indirectly by stock ownership or
  2  membership representing the owner's or member's proprietary
  3  interest in a corporation owning a fee or a leasehold
  4  initially in excess of ninety-eight years.
  5         (b)  Not more than one exemption shall be allowed any
  6  individual or family unit or with respect to any residential
  7  unit. No exemption shall exceed the value of the real estate
  8  assessable to the owner or, in case of ownership through stock
  9  or membership in a corporation, the value of the proportion
10  which the interest in the corporation bears to the assessed
11  value of the property.
12         (c)  By general law and subject to conditions specified
13  therein, the exemption shall be increased to a total of
14  twenty-five thousand dollars of the assessed value of the real
15  estate for each school district levy. By general law and
16  subject to conditions specified therein, the exemption for all
17  other levies may be increased up to an amount not exceeding
18  ten thousand dollars of the assessed value of the real estate
19  if the owner has attained age sixty-five or is totally and
20  permanently disabled and if the owner is not entitled to the
21  exemption provided in subsection (d).
22         (d)  By general law and subject to conditions specified
23  therein, the exemption shall be increased to a total of the
24  following amounts of assessed value of real estate for each
25  levy other than those of school districts: fifteen thousand
26  dollars with respect to 1980 assessments; twenty thousand
27  dollars with respect to 1981 assessments; twenty-five thousand
28  dollars with respect to assessments for 1982 and each year
29  thereafter. However, such increase shall not apply with
30  respect to any assessment roll until such roll is first
31  determined to be in compliance with the provisions of section
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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SJR 472
    4-216-01
  1  4 by a state agency designated by general law.  This
  2  subsection shall stand repealed on the effective date of any
  3  amendment to section 4 which provides for the assessment of
  4  homestead property at a specified percentage of its just
  5  value.
  6         (e)  By general law and subject to conditions specified
  7  therein, the Legislature may provide to renters, who are
  8  permanent residents, ad valorem tax relief on all ad valorem
  9  tax levies. Such ad valorem tax relief shall be in the form
10  and amount established by general law.
11         (f)  The legislature may, by general law, allow
12  counties or municipalities, for the purpose of their
13  respective tax levies and subject to the provisions of general
14  law, to grant an additional homestead tax exemption not
15  exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars to any person who has
16  the legal or equitable title to real estate and maintains
17  thereon the permanent residence of the owner and who has
18  attained age sixty-five and whose household income, as defined
19  by general law, does not exceed twenty thousand dollars.  The
20  general law must allow counties and municipalities to grant
21  this additional exemption, within the limits prescribed in
22  this subsection, by ordinance adopted in the manner prescribed
23  by general law, and must provide for the periodic adjustment
24  of the income limitation prescribed in this subsection for
25  changes in the cost of living.
26         (g)  By general law and subject to conditions specified
27  therein, the legislature may provide a homestead tax exemption
28  on the entire assessed value of real property owned and used
29  as a homestead by a person who becomes totally and permanently
30  disabled in the line of duty while serving, part-time or
31  full-time, as a law enforcement officer, a correctional
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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SJR 472
    4-216-01
  1  officer, a correctional probation officer, an auxiliary law
  2  enforcement officer, an auxiliary correctional officer, or an
  3  auxiliary correctional probation officer or while serving as a
  4  full-time professional firefighter.
  5         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
  6  placed on the ballot:
  7                     CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
  8                      ARTICLE VII, SECTION 4
  9         EXEMPTION FROM AD VALOREM TAX ON HOMESTEAD FOR DISABLED
10  LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS.--Proposing an
11  amendment to the State Constitution to allow the Legislature
12  to exempt from ad valorem taxation the entire assessed value
13  of homestead property owned by a person who becomes totally
14  and permanently disabled in the line of duty as a part-time,
15  full-time, or auxiliary law enforcement officer, correctional
16  officer, or correctional probation officer or as a full-time,
17  professional firefighter.
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