Untitled Document

Seniors/Veterans

I have several initiatives pending in the Assembly, which would enhance benefits for veterans and senior citizens. It is important for elected officials to realize that our veterans and senior citizens are a most valuable resource. The ideals they instill upon us and the lessons we learn from them cannot be replaced. We must protect the interests of our veteran and senior communities, especially in the wake of the baby boomer generation when we will soon see a drastic increase in our senior population. Given that, we must make greater strides to protect and enhance their benefits.

Assembly Bill 1535 increases the annual income eligibility requirement to qualify for the annual $250 property tax deduction. The income limitation would be increased from $10,000 to $15,000. This benefit is provided to senior citizens and persons who are permanently and totally disabled. This will allow more senior citizens to take advantage of this worthwhile program.

Assembly Bill 808, of which I am Co-primary sponsor, enhances tax relief under the NJ SAVER and Homestead Rebate Act. This bill makes several changes to the existing, "New Jersey School Assessment Valuation Exemption Relief" and "Homestead Property Tax Rebate Act" (the NJ SAVER and Homestead Rebate Act). Both of these programs allow for direct property tax relief for individual homeowners and renters; A808 would increase that. The bill phases in the full NJ SAVER rebate amounts over three years instead of over five years. The bill also allows for property taxpayers to collect both the NJ SAVER rebate and the homestead property tax rebate as long as they meet the eligibility requirements. Beginning in the first year, under the act, tenants who are eligible for homestead rebates under the current homestead rebate program are to be paid a minimum tenants rebate of $100.

The bill ensures full funding of all rebates by including a "poison pill" section. If NJ SAVER rebates and homestead rebates are not fully funded in any future year's annual appropriation act, the New Jersey gross income tax would be eliminated when considering eligibility.

Assembly Bill 1537 is a perfect example of initiatives to enhance the protection of our senior community. This bill creates a separate crime of committing an offense in a Senior Citizen Zone, which would be graded one degree higher than the offense committed outside a Senior Citizen Zone. "Senior Citizen Zone" is defined in this bill as any property owned by or leased to an adult day care facility or housing for older persons, or within 1,000 feet of those areas.

A person would be guilty of the crime of committing an offense in a Senior Citizen Zone if he or she commits, attempts to commit, conspires with another to commit or threatens the immediate commission of an offense specified under New Jersey Statute while in a Senior Citizen Zone.

Committing a crime in a senior citizen zone would be a crime of the fourth degree if the offense were either a disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offense. Otherwise, under this initiative, any crime committed within the zone is graded one degree higher than outside the Senior Citizen Zone. If the crime committed is a first-degree crime, the defendant, upon conviction, may be sentenced to an ordinary term of imprisonment between 10 years and 30 years, with a presumptive term of 20 years.

Assembly Bill 1550 amends the "New Jersey School Assessment Valuation Exemption Relief and Homestead Property Tax Rebate Act" (NJ SAVER and Homestead Rebate Act) homestead rebate provisions to allow honorably discharged United States Armed Forces war veterans, their unmarried surviving spouses, and unmarried surviving spouses of United States military personnel who died while on active duty in time of war to receive the same, larger, homestead property tax rebate as is provided for eligible senior citizens and disabled citizens. The State Constitution permits a differential homestead property tax rebate to be paid to homeowners or residential tenants who are senior citizens or disabled citizens.

Under the NJ SAVER and Homestead Rebate Act, approximately 125,000 senior tenants and disabled tenants remain eligible for an annual Homestead Rebate benefit of up to $500. The average rebate has been approximately $410. Once enacted, if the NJ SAVER provisions produce a greater benefit than the homestead rebate, the greater NJ SAVER rebate will be paid.

This bill provides approximately 330,000 war veterans or their surviving spouses the greater rebate, currently available only to senior and disabled citizens, or the NJ SAVER rebate. The war veterans and their unmarried surviving spouses who would be eligible for the enhanced homestead rebate also eligible, under the State Constitution, for the veterans' $50 real property tax deduction. While this $50 deduction would continue to be extended to these veterans and their surviving spouses, the extension of the enhanced homestead rebate will provide a long overdue increase in personal property tax relief for this well-deserving group of residents; who have not had any increase in their property tax deduction since 1953.

Assembly Bill 1553 would grant all senior citizens, age 62 or over, an automatic 90-day grace period to pay their quarterly property taxes. It is intended to ease the cash flow difficulties that many senior citizens face. Interest and penalties charged by municipalities would not accrue for seniors until this 90-day grace period has expired. The bill also grants senior citizens participating in the senior tax freeze act, 10-days following the issuance of their rebate check, to pay the property taxes for that year.

Assembly Bill 1554 provides that in determining eligibility for the "Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled" (PAAD) program, annual income shall not include veterans' entitlements; such as veterans' disability payments and veterans' pensions, which are provided by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. This would allow a greater number of New Jersey veterans to take advantage of the PAAD program, as other income would not be considered in the application process.

Currently, any resident of our State who is either a recipient of disability insurance benefits under the federal Social Security Act or is 65 years of age or over, and whose annual income is less than $20,016 if single or, $24,542 if married, shall be eligible for PAAD. Annual income does not include gain from the sale of a principal residence that is excluded from their gross income. By excluding veteran's entitlements, this allows greater access to PAAD for our veterans.

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