PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 2327
No. 1789 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY ZUG, DeWEESE, ARGALL, ARMSTRONG, BAKER, BELARDI,
BOYD, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CLYMER, COHEN, CORRIGAN,
DeLUCA, FRANKEL, GABIG, GEORGE, GOODMAN, HARPER, HERMAN,
HERSHEY, JAMES, KAUFFMAN, KILLION, KIRKLAND, LEACH, MANN,
MARKOSEK, MICOZZIE, R. MILLER, MUSTIO, NAILOR, O'NEILL,
PETRARCA, PHILLIPS, RAMALEY, READSHAW, SHANER, B. SMITH,
STABACK, STERN, R. STEVENSON, SURRA, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRUE,
WILT, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK, GRUCELA, J. TAYLOR
AND ROBERTS, JUNE 23, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, JUNE 23, 2005
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, further providing for persons with military
3 service-connected disabilities and for spouses of persons
4 killed in a military combat action to receive property tax
5 exemptions.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby resolves as follows:
8 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
9 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
10 That section 2(c) of Article VIII be amended to read:
11 § 2. Exemptions and special provisions.
12 * * *
13 (c) Citizens and residents of this Commonwealth, who served
14 in any war or armed conflict in which the United States was
15 engaged and were honorably discharged or released under
1 honorable circumstances from active service, shall be exempt
2 from the payment of all real property taxes upon the residence
3 occupied by the said citizens and residents of this Commonwealth
4 imposed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or any of its
5 political subdivisions if, as a result of military service, they
6 are blind, paraplegic or double or quadruple amputees or have a
7 service-connected disability declared by the United States
8 Veterans Administration or its successor to be a [total or 100%]
9 permanent disability, and if the State Veterans' Commission
10 determines that such persons are in need of the tax exemptions
11 granted herein. This exemption shall be extended to the
12 unmarried surviving spouse upon the death of an eligible veteran
13 provided that the State Veterans' Commission determines that
14 such person is in need of the exemption[.] and to the unmarried
15 surviving spouse of a Pennsylvania resident service member that
16 was killed in a military combat action as defined by the
17 Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
18 Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
19 Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the
20 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
21 comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article
22 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the
23 required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in
24 which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after
25 passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.
26 (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this
27 proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the
28 Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the
29 advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the
30 Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required
20050H1789B2327 - 2 -
1 advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such
2 newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of
3 this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the
4 Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment
5 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first
6 primary, general or municipal election occurring at least three
7 months after the proposed constitutional amendment is passed by
8 the General Assembly.
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