It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 1 of Chapter 66 of the Public Laws, January Session, 1981 entitled "An Act Relating to Tax Exemptions for the Elderly or Disabled Persons in the Town of Westerly", as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

Section 1. Authority of town council. -- The town council of the town of Westerly is hereby authorized to grant a real property exemption from taxation to any person sixty-five (65) years of age or over, or totally disabled person who owns and occupies residential property located in the town of Westerly; provided, however, that only one (1) such exemption shall be granted to co-tenants, joint tenants and tenants by the entirety, even though all of said co-tenants, joint tenants or tenants by the entirety are sixty-five (65) years of age or over. Such exemption shall be granted upon proof of the following:

(1) That the applicant is sixty-five (65) years of age or older, or totally disabled;

(2) Ownership of said residential property for a period of five (5) years next prior to the filing of an application for tax exemption;

(3) Occupancy by the applicant of said residential property for a period of five (5) years next prior to the filing of one (1) application for tax exemption;

(4) That said taxpayer is legally domiciled in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island, for a period of five (5) years next prior to the filing of an application for tax exemption;

(5) {DEL That the combined gross income of said taxpayer and his or her spouse and the amount of exemption shall be determined by the following forumla: DEL}

 {DEL  LEVEL  DEL}                    {DEL  COMBINED GROSS  DEL}                   {DEL  TAXPAYERS ENTITLED  DEL}  
  {DEL  NUMBER  DEL}                   {DEL  INCOME RANGE  DEL}                     {DEL  ABATEMENT  DEL}  

  {DEL   I  DEL}                 {DEL  $       0- 6,999  DEL}                  {DEL  60% of bill  DEL}  

  {DEL   II  DEL}                    {DEL  7,000- 8,999  DEL}                  {DEL  40% of bill  DEL}  

  {DEL  III  DEL}                    {DEL  9,000-10,999  DEL}                  {DEL  20% of bill  DEL}  

  {DEL   IV  DEL}                   {DEL  11,000-13,000  DEL}                  {DEL  10% of bill  DEL}  

{ADD The town council of Westerly may from time to time, by ordinance, make such changes in the amount of exemption granted and the rules and regulations as they deem necessary to promote the purpose of this act. They may require a proof of income of the taxpayer and his or her spouse. ADD}

{DEL Such DEL} {ADD Any such ADD} proof shall conform to the provisions of section 2 of chapter 245 of the public laws of 1970. Nothing contained herein shall abrogate or affect the authority conferred upon the tax assessors by the provisions of section 44-3-3, subparagraph 16 of the general laws of Rhode Island, 1956, as amended.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.