You asked for summaries of Select Committee on Aging bills favorably reported to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.

HB 5091 AN ACT CREATING A STATE INCOME TAX EXEMPTION FOR THE EXPENSE OF LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE

This bill allows taxpayers to exempt annual long-term care insurance premiums from their taxable income for purposes of the state income tax.

Effective date: January 1, 2007 and applicable to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2007

HB 5093 AN ACT CONCERNING PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR CERTAIN ELDERLY HOMEOWNERS

This bill allows municipalities to freeze the real estate property taxes of homeowners who are age 70 or older, have lived in the state at least one year, and have annual incomes of $ 27,100 or less ($ 33,000 for married couples), to be adjusted annually for inflation. The tax freeze continues for a surviving spouse who is at least age 62 when the homeowner dies. The bill also allows the town to impose its own asset limits for eligibility and to put a lien on the property. It allows people whose taxes are frozen to qualify for other tax relief programs if they are eligible.

The bill does not provide state reimbursement for a town's lost revenue, as existing law does under several required elderly property tax abatement programs.

Effective Date: October 1, 2006 and applicable to assessment years beginning on or after October 1, 2006

sHB 5249 AN ACT CONCERNING A REFUND OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE FUELS TAX TO PROVIDERS OF ELDERLY TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

This bill allows a for-profit or nonprofit transportation service to receive a refund on the state motor vehicle fuel tax it has paid if it is acting on behalf or in lieu of a Connecticut municipality or transit district and the fuel is used in a program to transport elderly or disabled people. Municipalities and transit districts themselves are already eligible for the refund.

The bill also allows this refund for: (1) a nonprofit corporation or association that uses the fuel to transport elderly and disabled people on behalf of an adult day care program and (2) a nonprofit, licensed home health agency when an agency employee uses the fuel to provide home health care or homemaker-home health aide services to elderly and disabled people.

Effective Date: July 1, 2006

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