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COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO
THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 106
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004
November 14, 2025
Nyasha Howard, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Secretary Howard,
Today, along with Councilmember Janeese Lewis George , I am introducing the “ Disabled
Veterans Complete Property Tax Exemption Amendment Act of 2025 .” This legislation expands
the District’s Homestead Deduction to provide complete residential property tax exemption for all
disabled veterans who have served our country, as well as the surviving spouses of disabled
veterans who have passed away or of veterans who died in the line of duty. By removing outdated
eligibility restrictions, this bill honors the service and sacrifice of our nation’s disabled veterans
by recognizing that financial security and housing stability are essential to the dignity that our
veterans and their families deserve.
Veteran homelessness and housing instability remain urgent challenges within the District. We
have a responsibility to ensure that those who have served our country can find lasting stability
and build prosperity in the communities they helped protect. Unfortunately, for many disabled
veterans the high cost of living in the region has made homeownership increasingly out of reach
and difficult to sustain.1 Veteran pensions are subject to state and local income taxes, 2 and those
who can work to supplement their income often excee d the District’s household income limit for
the Homestead Deduction. As a result, veterans who hav e dedicated their lives to public service
are being priced out of the District, weakening our communities and causing the District to fall
short of its promise to provide a place to call home for those who have served. Meanwhile,
neighboring Maryland and Virginia offer full property tax exemptions for these veterans, making
those communities more attractive than DC.
The Disabled Veterans Complete Property Tax Exemption Amendment Act will:
• Eliminate the current household income limit of $159,750, making the benefit available to
all qualifying disabled veterans regardless of their financial situation;
• Change from the current limited $445,000 deduction to a complete property tax exemption,
matching Maryland and Virginia's approach;
• Preserve existing requirements for 100% service-connected permanent and total disability
rating from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs;
1 Alice in Focus, Financial Hardship Among Veterans: United States, (November 2022), at 10, available here.
2 Annual Return for Withholding Reported on Forms 1099 and W-2G Instructions, District of Columbia Office of
Tax and Revenue, (2024), available here.
• Allow qualifying veterans to receive full exemption from property taxes on their primary
dwelling and associated property; and
• Expand eligibility for the exemption to surviving spouses of eligible disabled veterans who
pass away and to surviving spouses of eligible veterans who died in the line of active duty.
Expanding the Homestead Deduction to provide complete property tax relief to disabled veterans
and their families is more than a matter of fiscal policy, it is a reflection of the District commitment
to ensuring those who have sacrifice in service to our n ation find dignity, belonging, and
opportunity to prosper at home.
Should you have any questions about this legislation, please contact my Legislative Counsel, Isaiah
Boyd, at iboyd@dccouncil.gov.
Sincerely,
Brooke Pinto
Councilmember, Ward 2
Chairwoman, Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety
Council of the District of Columbia
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Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Brooke Pinto 4
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A BILL 8
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 12
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To amend Title 47 of the District of Columbia Official Code to exempt 100 percent of the 17
taxation of real property, including the joint real property of married individuals and 18
serving spouses of disabled veterans or veterans who died in active duty. 19
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 21
act may be cited as the “Disabled Veterans Complete Property Tax Exemption Amendment Act 22
of 2025”. 23
Sec. 2. Section 47-850 of the District of Columbia Code is amended to read as follows: 24
(a) Section (a-2)(1) is amended to read as follows: 25
“(a-2)(1) For purposes of levying the real property tax during a tax year, the 26
Mayor shall exempt from property tax the assessed value of real property that qualifies for the 27
homestead deduction and is owned by a veteran; provided that the: 28
“(A) Veteran has been classified by the United States Department of 29
Veterans Affairs as having a total and permanent disability as a result of a service-incurred 30
condition or service-aggravated condition or is paid at the 100% disability rating level as a result 31
of unemployability; and 32
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“(B) Veteran's household is an eligible household as defined in § 47-33
863(a)(1A)(A); except, that § 47-863(a)(1A)(A)(iii)(I)(aa), (I)(bb), and (II) shall not apply.”. 34
(b) Subsection (a-2) is amended by adding new paragraphs (4) and (5) to read as follows: 35
“(4) The surviving spouse of a disabled veteran who was otherwise eligible for 36
the property tax exemption set forth in this subsection shall be eligible for the property tax 37
exemption set forth in this subsection after the death of the veteran for the dwelling unit that was 38
formerly owned by the disabled veteran: 39
“(A) If the dwelling unit previously received an exemption under 40
this subsection; and 41
“(B) If the surviving spouse owns and resides in the dwelling unit. 42
“(5) The surviving spouse of a veteran who died in the line of duty shall qualify 43
for the exemption set forth in this subsection, if: 44
“(A) The dwelling unit was owned by the veteran at the time of the 45
individual’s death; 46
“(B) The dwelling unit was acquired by the surviving spouse within 2 47
years of the individual’s death, if the individual or the surviving spouse was domiciled in the 48
District as of the date of the individual’s death; and 49
“(C) The veteran was domiciled in the District at the time of their death.”. 50
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 51
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 52
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 53
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 54
Sec. 4. Effective date. 55
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This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 56
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 57
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 58
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 59
Columbia Register. 60