HJR 1345

1	House Joint Resolution
2	A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 6 of
3	Article VII of the State Constitution to provide an
4	additional tax exemption on the first homestead a person
5	establishes in this state.
6
7	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
8
9	That the following amendment to Section 6 of Article VII of
10	the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
11	the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
12	general election or at an earlier special election specifically
13	authorized by law for that purpose:
14	ARTICLE VII
15	FINANCE AND TAXATION
16	SECTION 6.  Homestead exemptions.--
17	(a)  Every person who has the legal or equitable title to
18	real estate and maintains thereon the permanent residence of the
19	owner, or another legally or naturally dependent upon the owner,
20	shall be exempt from taxation thereon, except assessments for
21	special benefits, up to the assessed valuation of twenty-five
22	thousand dollars and, for all levies other than school district
23	levies, on the assessed valuation greater than fifty thousand
24	dollars and up to seventy-five thousand dollars, upon
25	establishment of right thereto in the manner prescribed by law.
26	The real estate may be held by legal or equitable title, by the
27	entireties, jointly, in common, as a condominium, or indirectly
28	by stock ownership or membership representing the owner's or
29	member's proprietary interest in a corporation owning a fee or a
30	leasehold initially in excess of ninety-eight years. The
31	exemption shall not apply with respect to any assessment roll
32	until such roll is first determined to be in compliance with the
33	provisions of section 4 by a state agency designated by general
34	law. This exemption is repealed on the effective date of any
35	amendment to this Article which provides for the assessment of
36	homestead property at less than just value.
37	(b)  Not more than one exemption shall be allowed any
38	individual or family unit or with respect to any residential
39	unit. No exemption shall exceed the value of the real estate
40	assessable to the owner or, in case of ownership through stock
41	or membership in a corporation, the value of the proportion
42	which the interest in the corporation bears to the assessed
43	value of the property.
44	(c)  By general law and subject to conditions specified
45	therein, the Legislature may provide to renters, who are
46	permanent residents, ad valorem tax relief on all ad valorem tax
47	levies. Such ad valorem tax relief shall be in the form and
48	amount established by general law.
49	(d)  The legislature may, by general law, allow counties or
50	municipalities, for the purpose of their respective tax levies
51	and subject to the provisions of general law, to grant an
52	additional homestead tax exemption not exceeding fifty thousand
53	dollars to any person who has the legal or equitable title to
54	real estate and maintains thereon the permanent residence of the
55	owner and who has attained age sixty-five and whose household
56	income, as defined by general law, does not exceed twenty
57	thousand dollars. The general law must allow counties and
58	municipalities to grant this additional exemption, within the
59	limits prescribed in this subsection, by ordinance adopted in
60	the manner prescribed by general law, and must provide for the
61	periodic adjustment of the income limitation prescribed in this
62	subsection for changes in the cost of living.
63	(e)  Each veteran who is age 65 or older who is partially
64	or totally permanently disabled shall receive a discount from
65	the amount of the ad valorem tax otherwise owed on homestead
66	property the veteran owns and resides in if the disability was
67	combat related, the veteran was a resident of this state at the
68	time of entering the military service of the United States, and
69	the veteran was honorably discharged upon separation from
70	military service. The discount shall be in a percentage equal to
71	the percentage of the veteran's permanent, service-connected
72	disability as determined by the United States Department of
73	Veterans Affairs. To qualify for the discount granted by this
74	subsection, an applicant must submit to the county property
75	appraiser, by March 1, proof of residency at the time of
76	entering military service, an official letter from the United
77	States Department of Veterans Affairs stating the percentage of
78	the veteran's service-connected disability and such evidence
79	that reasonably identifies the disability as combat related, and
80	a copy of the veteran's honorable discharge. If the property
81	appraiser denies the request for a discount, the appraiser must
82	notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the denial,
83	and the veteran may reapply. The Legislature may, by general
84	law, waive the annual application requirement in subsequent
85	years. This subsection shall take effect December 7, 2006, is
86	self-executing, and does not require implementing legislation.
87	(f)  Each person who is entitled to the exemption provided
88	in this section shall be eligible for an additional homestead
89	exemption on the first homestead the person establishes in this
90	state upon the establishment of the exemption as prescribed by
91	general law. The amount of the additional exemption shall be
92	equal to the lesser of 25 percent of the homestead property's
93	just value on January 1 of the year in which the homestead
94	exemption is established or 25 percent of the median value of
95	homesteads in the county in which the homestead is located in
96	the year prior to establishing the new homestead. The exemption
97	shall be reduced each year by the difference between the
98	homestead's just value and assessed value until the value of the
99	exemption is reduced to zero.
100	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
101	placed on the ballot:
102	CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
103	ARTICLE VII, SECTION 6
104	HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEOWNERS.--Proposing
105	an amendment to the State Constitution to provide an additional
106	tax exemption on the first homestead a person establishes in
107	this state, which is limited to the lesser of 25 percent of the
108	just value of the homestead or 25 percent of the median value of
109	homesteads in the county where the homestead is located, and
110	which shall be reduced each year by the difference between the
111	homestead's just value and assessed value until the exemption is
112	eliminated.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.