House Bill 6458 Summary

• Lowered the minimum age of eligibility for property tax relief from 70 years old to 65 years old, effective October 1, 2021, for qualifying senior citizens who own their primary residence and meet income limits.

• Allowed surviving spouses aged 62 and older to continue receiving property tax relief if their deceased spouse had qualified, provided they remain domiciled in the state and meet income requirements.

• Permitted municipalities to set a minimum age older than 65 for tax relief by legislative vote, with no requirement for municipalities that previously limited relief to those 70 and older to revote unless lowering the age threshold.

• Established a task force to study ways to protect senior citizens from fraud, including examination of planning services available to Medicaid applicants, with a deadline to report findings by January 1, 2022.

• Task force composition includes 8 members appointed by legislative leaders and state commissioners, with administrative support provided by the joint standing committee on aging.