Bill > H2637

This bill proposes to allow cities and towns to establish a property tax exemption or abatement program for grandparents over the age of 55 who are legally raising their grandchildren. This means that if a grandparent meets these criteria and their city or town accepts this program, they could see a reduction in their real property tax bill. The reduction would be in addition to any other tax breaks they might already receive and would be capped at $1,000 per child each year. Cities and towns would be responsible for keeping records of these tax reductions and providing copies to both the tax assessor and the taxpayer before the final tax bill is issued, and they can create their own local rules for implementing this program. Additionally, a city or town's legislative body can vote to adjust this exemption, for instance, by basing the maximum tax reduction on a verified legal relationship to the child.