Joint Committee on Revenue hears proposals to ease property-tax burden for seniors and people with disabilities

Boston — Lawmakers, municipal officials and senior advocates on the Joint Committee on Revenue heard testimony on a slate of bills meant to reduce property-tax and fee burdens for older adults and people with disabilities, including measures to stop annual refiling for exemptions, raise circuit-breaker eligibility limits and expand local options for exemptions or deferrals.

The committee accepted oral testimony and invited written testimony by email; the chair said the deadline for written submissions on the bills is Monday, June 30. Committee members also asked witnesses questions about program integrity and implementation.

Why it matters: Witnesses said rising home values in Greater Boston and across the Commonwealth are outpacing many seniors’ fixed incomes, pushing some homeowners toward financial insecurity or the prospect of leaving long-established neighborhoods. Proponents called the bills a set of practical tools to help older adults remain in their homes.

What was proposed and who testified: Representative Bill McGregor filed House Bill 3,968, which would eliminate the requirement that seniors and people with…