Committee backs constitutional amendment to let a disabled veteran’s homestead exemption transfer once to a surviving spouse

Charlton McGinley, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, and Connor Junkin, the department’s executive counsel, told the committee SB180 seeks to allow a disabled veteran’s homestead exemption to transfer one time to a surviving spouse who must downsize after the veteran’s death so the spouse is not penalized by losing both federal disability payments and a local exemption.

Junkin explained the proposed amendment would permit the exemption to follow the spouse for the purchase of one home; the benefit would be calculated based on the service‑connected disability rating associated with the veteran. "We're trying to solve that problem," Junkin said, describing cases brought by veteran service organizations of surviving spouses who lose the exemption when a veteran dies.

Committee members pressed for the number of individuals affected and for fiscal clarity; Secretary McGinley and staff said they did not have an exact count and offered to request data from the Department of Revenue. Senators expressed concern about potential fiscal exposure and the possible consequences of a later legal challenge to a constitutional amendment; counsel noted earlier versions of the disabled‑veteran exemption had previously included a remarriage termination clause that was later removed from statute and is not in current law.

The committee discussed limiting the benefit to a single transfer; sponsors said they could consider broader language but preferred a one‑time transfer to reduce risk. The chair moved and, seeing no objection, the committee reported SB180 favorable.