HB 697 — A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in taxation and finance, further providing for exemptions and special provisions.

2152748 PRIORTHE PRINTER'SGENERAL NO.ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of 2017 No.

748INTRODUCED THEBY GENERALSAINATO, ASSEMBLYBARRAR, OFDONATUCCI, PENNSYLVANIAMURT, HOUSELONGIETTI, BILLRAPP, SessionBURNS, KORTZ, DRISCOLL, SCHWEYER AND READSHAW, MARCH 3, 2017 REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, MARCH 3, 2017 A JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of No.the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in taxation and finance, further providing for exemptions and special provisions.

697 2017 INTRODUCED BY SAINATO, BARRAR, DONATUCCI, MURT, LONGIETTI, RAPP, BURNS, KORTZ, DRISCOLL, SCHWEYER, READSHAW AND GILLEN, MARCH 3, 2017 AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 26, 2017 A JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth for exemptions and special provisions.ce, further providing The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby resolves as follows:

That section 2 2(C) of Article VIII be amended by adding a <-- subsection to read:

* * * (C)(d) (I)The CITIZENSsurviving ANDspouse RESIDENTSof OFany THISmember COMMONWEALTH,of WHOthe <--armed SERVEDforces INof ANYthe WARUnited ORStates ARMEDwho CONFLICTwas INkilled WHICHin THEaction UNITEDas STATESdetermined WASby ENGAGEDthe ANDUnited WEREStates HONORABLYDepartment DISCHARGEDof ORDefense, RELEASEDor UNDERwho HONORABLEdied CIRCUMSTANCESas FROMa ACTIVEresult SERVICE,of SHALLinjuries BEreceived EXEMPTwhile FROMin THEactive PAYMENTservice, OFshall ALLbe REALexempt PROPERTYfrom TAXESthe UPONpayment THEof RESIDENCEall OCCUPIEDreal BYproperty THEtaxes SAIDon CITIZENSthe ANDsurviving RESIDENTSspouse's OFprimary THISplace COMMONWEALTHof IMPOSEDresidence, BYwithout THEany COMMONWEALTHrestriction OFon PENNSYLVANIAthe ORspouse's ANYrelocating OFto ITSanother POLITICALprimary SUBDIVISIONSplace IF,of ASresidence Aand RESULTwithout OFany MILITARYrequirement SERVICE,that THEYthe AREspouse BLIND,reside PARAPLEGICin ORthis DOUBLECommonwealth ORat QUADRUPLEthe AMPUTEEStime ORof HAVEdeath Aof SERVICE-CONNECTEDthe DISABILITYmember DECLAREDof BYthe THEarmed UNITEDforces. STATES VETERANS ADMINISTRATION OR ITS SUCCESSOR TO BE A TOTAL OR 100% PERMANENT DISABILITY, AND IF THE STATE VETERANS' COMMISSION DETERMINES THAT SUCH PERSONS ARE IN NEED OF THE TAX EXEMPTIONS GRANTED HEREIN.

THIS EXEMPTION SHALL BE EXTENDED TO THE UNMARRIED SURVIVING SPOUSE UPON THE DEATH OF AN ELIGIBLE VETERAN PROVIDED THAT THE STATE VETERANS' COMMISSION DETERMINES THAT SUCH PERSON IS IN NEED OF THE EXEMPTION.

(d) (II) The surviving spouse of any member of the armed <-- forces of the United States who was killed in action IN ANY WAR <-- OR ARMED CONFLICT as determined by the United States Department of Defense, or who died as a result of injuries received while in active service IN ANY WAR OR ARMED CONFLICT, shall be exempt <-- from the payment of all real property taxes on the surviving spouse's primary place of residence, without any restriction on the spouse's relocating to another primary place of residence and without any requirement that the spouse reside in this Commonwealth at the time of death of the member of the armed forces.

SECTIONSection 2.

THE(a) ADDITIONUpon OFthe SECTIONfirst 2(C)(II)passage OFby ARTICLEthe VIIIGeneral <--Assembly OFof THEthis CONSTITUTIONproposed OFconstitutional PENNSYLVANIAamendment, SHALLthe APPLYSecretary TOof THEthe SURVIVINGCommonwealth SPOUSEshall OFproceed ANYimmediately MEMBERto OFcomply THEwith ARMEDthe FORCESadvertising OFrequirements THEof UNITEDsection STATES1 WHO,of ONArticle ORXI AFTERof THEthe RATIFICATIONConstitution OFof THISPennsylvania CONSTITUTIONALand AMENDMENTshall BYtransmit THEthe ELECTORSrequired OFadvertisements THISto COMMONWEALTH:two newspapers in every county in which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.

(1) WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN ANY WAR OR ARMED CONFLICT AS 20170HB0697PN2152 - 2 - DETERMINED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE;

OR (2) DIED AS A RESULT OF INJURIES RECEIVED WHILE IN ACTIVE SERVICE IN ANY WAR OR ARMED CONFLICT.

Section 2 3.

(a) Upon the first passage by the General <-- Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.

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