Bill > A02437

This bill provides a property tax exemption for enrolled members of volunteer ocean rescue squads in certain New York municipalities, specifically towns with a population between 28,370 and 28,400 according to the 2020 census. The exemption allows qualifying ocean rescue squad members to receive up to a 10% reduction in their property's assessed value for various local tax purposes, but only if the local governing body (such as a city, village, town, school district, fire district, or county) adopts a local law or resolution after a public hearing. To be eligible, the applicant must: reside in the municipality served by the ocean rescue squad, use the property as their primary residence, and have been certified by the appropriate local authority after meeting a service requirement between two and five years. Members with over 20 years of active service can receive the exemption for life, and in certain cases, the exemption can be extended to an un-remarried spouse of a squad member who was killed in the line of duty. Applicants must file for the exemption annually with the local assessor, and the bill ensures that no current recipients will lose existing benefits due to this new legislation.

Budget and Finance

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A2437