South Queens, NY – New York State Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato secured the passage of an amendment to her pro-Veterans legislation to ensure certain Veterans got a 100% property tax deduction. Pheffer Amato, who has a record of being one of the strongest supporters of Veterans in the State Legislature, had her original bill (A.74, 2025) signed into law at the end of 2025 which created a new property tax exemption for 100% disabled Veterans. The legislation, which has been considered the top priority of nearly every NYS-based Veterans group for years, was noted as a major success for the Assemblywoman. During the final weeks of the 2025 session, the Assemblywoman and Governor Hochul spoke about the potential to amend the bill, also known as a Chapter Amendment, in order to ease the process for those who will benefit.

According to the new bill, A.9448, instead of allowing localities to choose to opt-into enacting property tax exemptions for 100% disabled Veterans, Governor Hochul and Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato agreed to remove the “red tape” and mandate the exemption in all localities. This change clarifies that a Veteran who is declared 100% disabled (via criteria and standards implemented by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs) must be provided a full property tax exemption by the locality. It further states that this property tax exemption shall not discontinue any other benefits a Veteran is already receiving.

“I applaud the Governor for being proactive and giving our Veterans this benefit now by cutting the red tape,” said Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato. “Our goal was to openly thank the men and women who served our nation, and in the course of their duty obtained a 100% service-connected disability. Through this amendment we are easing the financial burden on our heroes by removing all property taxes and making it clear that in New York we take care of our Veterans - because they took care of us!”

"For Veterans living with the most serious service-connected disabilities, their home is where stability begins," said New York City Department of Veterans' Services Commissioner James Hendon. "This bill ensures that once a Veteran qualifies for this property tax exemption, it is applied fully and without disruption—so Veterans can count on it, and their homes remain protected."

The bill is set to go into effect October 2026. It was carried in the State Senate by Senator Joe Addabbo.