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Proposal would create $15,000 lifetime tax credit for home accessibility modifications
Summary
Representative Mary Catherine Stone introduced a bill to provide individuals up to $15,000 in lifetime tax credits for home modifications that improve accessibility; a Vermonter with ALS testified about extensive out-of-pocket costs and remodeling challenges.
Representative Mary Catherine Stone introduced a bill in committee on Feb. 14 to create a lifetime individual tax credit of $15,000 for qualified home safety and accessibility expenses, including wheelchair ramps, stair lifts, widened doorways and bathroom renovations.
Stone, an occupational therapist from Burlington who said she works as a frontline health-care worker, framed the bill as a response to the high cost of home modifications and the financial strain on families caring for people with disabilities or age-related mobility loss.
"This bill would allow an individual to receive a tax credit of $15,000 in their lifetime for qualified expenses that enhance safety and accessibility in their home," Stone said. She described common costs: wheelchair ramps ("between $400 to $4,000"), roll-under sinks (about $500), grab bars (about $140 each) and doorway widening (about $700).
The committee heard emotional, first-hand testimony from Nancy Luke, who described her diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the work she and contractors did to make her home accessible, and the financial toll. Luke said remodeling an upstairs bedroom and bathroom, rewiring due to knob-and-tube wiring and replacing rotted flooring led to thousands of dollars in costs and that she and her husband had drawn about $125,000 from retirement to pay for work so far.
"We had really wonderful team who helped us make a plan to keep expenses as low as possible," Luke said. "After 2 and a half months, the workers almost finished their part, and we had spent almost a hundred thousand dollars." She told the committee she still lacked funds to finish an outdoor ramp and that the household was temporarily running construction-grade extension cords to power parts of the home.
Stone and supporters pointed to existing programs in other states. Committee materials and Stone's testimony referenced eight states with some form of tax credit or exemption for accessibility work, including Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire and Virginia. Stone said options include an income-tax credit or a property tax exemption and asked the committee to consider models and implementation details.
Stone argued the credit would help people remain in their homes longer, reduce hospitalizations and long-term care admissions, and save Medicaid costs over time; committee members received written testimony and a suggestion that the change could be structured as a property-value exemption rather than an income-tax credit.
No motion or vote was recorded on the bill during the transcript. Stone said she would provide written testimony and follow-up details for committee consideration.
