Kelly Secures Property Tax Reduction for Surviving Spouses of Fallen Officers, Rescue Workers

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Language inserted into an omnibus bill passed on Thursday by state Rep. Michael J. Kelly, D-Chicago, means property tax relief is on the way for surviving spouses of police officers and rescue workers killed in the line of duty.
“Families of fallen first responders have given society enough,” Kelly said. “We can’t give these families their loved ones back, but what we can do is ease the financial burden with regard to taxes and being able to stay in their homes.”
Kelly introduced House Bill 2950 to provide a 50% reduction in property taxes to the surviving spouses of fallen first responders, as long as they remained in the same home and did not remarry. That bill did not advance out of committee before the deadline.
But Kelly, a Chicago firefighter who joined the General Assembly in 2021, kept fighting and was able to insert key language from the bill into Article 10 of House Bill 2507, the Property Tax Omnibus bill, which passed unopposed through both the House and Senate this month. The bill cleared the General Assembly on Thursday and now moves to the governor’s desk for final approval. When it becomes law, it will take effect in 2024.
“First responders who put their lives on the line do so while trusting that, should the worst happen, the rest of us will step up and ensure their loved ones will be taken care of,” Kelly said. “That’s why this measure is so important. We’re helping take care of the families whose fallen heroes can no longer take care of them themselves.”
Kelly’s office is reachable at 773-736-0218 or district@repkelly.com.