HB3289 Summary

• Amends Illinois Property Tax Code sections 15-168, 15-169, and 15-172 relating to homestead exemptions for persons with disabilities, veterans with disabilities, and senior citizens.

• Allows county assessment officers to automatically approve homestead exemptions for 2021 without reapplication if the property was approved for 2020 and certain conditions are met, including that the county declared a COVID-19 disaster and the owner remained the same.

• Permits veterans with service-connected disabilities rated at 70% or more to receive full property tax exemptions; those rated 50-70% receive $5,000 exemptions; those rated 30-50% receive $2,500 exemptions.

• Provides $2,000 annual homestead exemptions for persons with disabilities and allows exemptions to continue if the person moves to a licensed facility while a spouse occupies or the home remains owned and unoccupied.

• Establishes Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption for persons age 65+ with household income not exceeding $65,000, freezing assessed value at base year amount and allowing increases only for improvements added after the base year.