DENVER-
A bill that will rebate money tax money to seniors and the disabled won initial approval in the House on Tuesday.
The measure (House Bill 1106) sponsored by State Representative Rafael Lorenzo Gallegos, D-Antonito, would change the thresholds for determining eligibility for the Property Tax, Heat, and Rent Credit rebate program for the elderly and disabled.
“This bill goes a long way in addressing some very important issues regarding our aged and disabled populations, many of whom are on fixed income and hover near the poverty line,” Gallegos said.
The bill would increases the minimum threshold for eligibility to $12,000 and maximum threshold to $15,000 per year.
Gallegos said the utility rebate was initiated in the early 1980s and was last increased in 1999, but he said it is insufficient given inflation and the recent economic downturn. As a result, he said, thousands who need the benefit have found themselves ineligible.
