S3574

The New York State Senate passed S3574, sponsored by Senator Cleare, which amends the Real Property Tax Law. The bill passed on a roll call vote 53-1, with only Sen. Walczyk voting in opposition. The measure takes effect immediately upon passage.

The New York State Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would require multiple notifications to seniors before they lose eligibility for property tax relief programs. Senate Print 3574, sponsored by Sen. Cleare, amends the Real Property Tax Law to ensure older New Yorkers receive a second and subsequent notification if they fail to respond to initial recertification notices for STAR and Enhanced STAR benefits. The bill passed on a 59-0 roll call vote. Sen. Cleare, chair of the Aging Committee, argued that seniors on fixed incomes deserve the benefits and that missing a single piece of mail should not result in tax increases of thousands of dollars. She noted that many seniors currently must reapply annually for these programs and that life circumstances sometimes prevent timely responses to recertification requests. The legislation takes effect immediately.