Senate Bill S6873

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6873

SPONSOR: LITTLE
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend chapter 475 of the laws of 2013,
amending the real property tax law relating to assessment ceilings for
local public utility mass real property, in relation to making the
provisions thereof permanent

 
PURPOSE:

To make Chapter 475 of 2013, which creating a uniform process of taxa-
tion for local public utility mass real property across the State.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 deletes the expiration language from section 4 of Chapter 475
of the laws of 2013.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
              

EXISTING LAW:

Chapter 475 of 2013 established a uniform process of taxation for tele-
communications mass real property throughout the State; and provides for
a January 1, 2019 sunset of such law.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
STATEMENT IN SUPPORT:

Chapter 475 of 2013 put in place a uniform process of taxation on tele-
communications utility transmission property (including wires, poles and
other property). This statute replaced a prior law in which telecommuni-
cations utility transmission property located on public property was
assessed by the state Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF), while
such property located on private property was assessed by local govern-
ment. The law was intended to ensure uniformity and predictability in
the valuation of public utility infrastructure, regardless of where the
property is located.

Doing so relieved telecommunications companies of the need to contend
with hundreds of assessing jurisdictions throughout the state, each with
differing valuation standards. And centralizing this responsibility
within DTF made sense, as DTF has the staff, the resources, and experi-
ence to properly perform these tasks statewide. It also relieved local
government assessors of the burden of performing these assessments every
year, saving them money.

This measure will make permanent a more efficient, less costly property
assessment process for telecommunications utilities, while also saving
local governments money.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

This measure will continue some costs that the state has incurred, but
such costs should be exceeded by the saving that will be realized by
local governments throughout the state.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Takes effect immediately upon enactment.