PRINTER'S NO. 3096
No. 2244 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY GRUCELA, SOLOBAY, COSTA, ROONEY, BELFANTI, BROWNE,
BUNT, COY, DERMODY, DiGIROLAMO, GEORGE, HORSEY, HUTCHINSON,
JAMES, JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, LESCOVITZ, MELIO,
PETRARCA, READSHAW, SHANER, TANGRETTI, THOMAS, TRICH,
WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, DECEMBER 13, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, DECEMBER 13, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 11, 1971 (P.L.104, No.3), entitled, as
2 amended, "An act providing property tax or rent rebate and
3 inflation dividends to certain senior citizens, widows,
4 widowers and permanently disabled persons with limited
5 incomes; establishing uniform standards and qualifications
6 for eligibility to receive rebates and dividends; providing
7 for transportation assistance grants and grants to area
8 agencies on aging for services to older persons; and imposing
9 duties upon the Department of Revenue," further defining
10 "claimant" for purposes of property tax and rent rebate claim
11 eligibility.
12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14 Section 1. Section 3(7) of the act of March 11, 1971
15 (P.L.104, No.3), known as the Senior Citizens Rebate and
16 Assistance Act, reenacted and amended December 21, 1979
17 (P.L.570, No.131) and amended March 10, 1982 (P.L.177, No.56),
18 is amended to read:
19 Section 3. Definitions.--As used in this act:
20 * * *
21 (7) "Claimant" means a person who files a claim for property
1 tax rebate or rent rebate in lieu of property taxes and
2 inflation dividend and was [sixty-five] fifty-five years of age
3 or over, or whose spouse (if a member of the household) was
4 [sixty-five] fifty-five years of age or over, during a calendar
5 year in which real property taxes, rent and inflation costs were
6 due and payable or was a widow or widower and was fifty years of
7 age or over during a calendar year or part thereof in which real
8 property taxes, rent and inflation costs were due and payable,
9 or was a permanently disabled person eighteen years of age or
10 over during a calendar year or part thereof in which real
11 property taxes, rent and inflation costs were due and payable.
12 For the purposes of this act the term "widow" or "widower" shall
13 mean the surviving wife or the surviving husband, as the case
14 may be, of a deceased individual and who has not remarried
15 except as provided in subsection (c) and (d) of section 4 of
16 this act. For the purposes of this act the term "permanently
17 disabled person" shall mean a person who is unable to engage in
18 any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically
19 determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected
20 to continue indefinitely, except as provided in subsection (c)
21 and (d) of section 4 of this act.
22 * * *
23 Section 2. Section 6 of the act is amended to read:
24 Section 6. Proof of Claim.--Each claim shall include
25 reasonable proof of household income, the size and nature of the
26 property claimed as a homestead and the rent or tax receipt, or
27 other proof that the real property taxes on the homestead have
28 been paid, or rent in connection with the occupancy of a
29 homestead has been paid. If the claimant is a widow, or widower,
30 a declaration of such status in such manner as prescribed by the
20010H2244B3096 - 2 -
1 Secretary of Revenue shall be included. Proof that a claimant is
2 eligible to receive disability benefits under the Federal Social
3 Security Act shall constitute proof of disability under this
4 act. No person who has been found not to be disabled by the
5 social security administration shall be granted a rebate or
6 dividend under this act. A claimant not covered under the
7 Federal Social Security Act shall be examined by a physician
8 designated by the department and such status determined using
9 the same standards used by the social security administration.
10 It shall not be necessary that such taxes or rent were paid
11 directly by the claimant: Provided, That the rent or taxes have
12 been paid when the claim is filed. The first claim filed shall
13 include proof that the claimant or his spouse was age [sixty-
14 five] fifty-five or over or fifty years or over in the case of a
15 widow, or widower, during the calendar year in which real
16 property taxes or rent were due and payable.
17 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
K9L72JAM/20010H2244B3096 - 3 -