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SB-56 • 2026

Property taxation: disabled veterans’ exemption: household income.

Property taxation: disabled veterans’ exemption: household income.

Budget Education Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Seyarto
Last action
2025-07-15
Official status
Set, first hearing. Held in committee and under submission.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details on the exact amount of property value exempt from taxes or additional duties required for local tax officials.

Excluding Service-Connected Disability Payments from Household Income

The bill excludes service-connected disability payments from household income for disabled veterans' property tax exemption and corrects an error in the law.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes how household income is calculated for disabled veterans’ property tax exemptions by excluding service-connected disability payments.
  • Corrects an error in a cross-reference within existing law related to the disabled veterans' exemption.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Disabled veterans and their families who own property in California.
  • Local tax officials responsible for assessing property taxes.

Terms To Know

Service-connected disability payments
Money given to disabled veterans by the government because of injuries or illnesses related to military service.
Household income
The total amount of money earned by all members of a household in one year.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Local agencies may face additional costs from duties imposed by this bill.
  • No state reimbursement is provided for property tax revenues lost due to the exemption.
  • The changes will be effective until January 1, 2036.

Bill History

  1. 2025-07-15 California Legislative Information

    Set, first hearing. Held in committee and under submission.

  2. 2025-07-15 California Legislative Information

    July 14 hearing: Placed on REV. & TAX. suspense file.

  3. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on REV. & TAX. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.

  4. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    Coauthors revised.

  5. 2025-06-19 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on M. & V.A.

  6. 2025-06-09 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Coms. on M. & V.A. and REV. & TAX. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

  7. 2025-06-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on REV. & TAX. and M. & V.A.

  8. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  9. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1322.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  10. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  11. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  12. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1189.) (May 23).

  13. 2025-05-16 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 23.

  14. 2025-05-12 California Legislative Information

    May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  15. 2025-05-02 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 12.

  16. 2025-04-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 4. Noes 0. Page 918.) (April 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  17. 2025-03-28 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 28.

  18. 2025-03-12 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on M. & V.A. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (March 12). Re-referred to Com. on M. & V.A.

  19. 2025-03-05 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.

  20. 2025-02-26 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing March 12.

  21. 2025-01-29 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on REV. & TAX. and M. & V.A.

  22. 2025-01-08 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 7.

  23. 2025-01-07 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 56, as amended, Seyarto.
Property taxation: disabled veterans’ exemption: household income.
The California Constitution provides that all property is taxable, and requires that it be assessed at the same percentage of fair market value, unless otherwise provided by the California Constitution or federal law. The California Constitution and existing property tax law provide various exemptions from taxation, including, among others, a disabled veterans’ exemption. Under existing law, the disabled veterans’ exemption exempts from taxation part of the full value of property that constitutes the principal place of residence of a veteran, the veteran’s spouse, or the veteran and veteran’s spouse jointly, and the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran, as provided, if the veteran incurred specified injuries or died while on active duty in military service, as described. Existing law exempts that part of the full value of the residence that does not exceed $100,000, or $150,000 if the
household income of the claimant does not exceed $40,000, as adjusted for inflation, as specified.
This bill
would
would, until January 1, 2036,
exclude service-connected disability payments from the definition of “household income” for purposes of the disabled veterans’ exemption. The bill would also correct an erroneous cross-reference in the above-described provisions. By imposing additional duties on local tax officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve,
detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements.
This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law requires the state to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for
purposes of ad valorem property taxation.
This bill would provide that, notwithstanding those provisions, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill.
This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Current Bill Text

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