Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to the Arkansas
Constitution.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Regular Session, 2025 HJR 1008 3
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By: Representative S. Meeks 5
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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 8
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION CONCERNING 9
THE TAXATION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY AND REAL PROPERTY 10
IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS; AUTHORIZING THE GENERAL 11
ASSEMBLY TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE TAXATION OF 12
PERSONAL PROPERTY BY LAW AND TO CREATE EXEMPTIONS FOR 13
THE TAXATION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY; REPEALING THE 14
REQUIREMENT THAT PERSONAL PROPERTY AND REAL PROPERTY 15
BE TAXED AT AN EQUAL RATE; AND AMENDING ARKANSAS 16
CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENTS 30 AND 38, T0 PROVIDE THAT 17
TAXES FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE AMENDMENTS MAY BE 18
LEVIED ON REAL PROPERTY, PERSONAL PROPERTY, OR BOTH 19
REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY. 20
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Subtitle 23
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS 24
CONSTITUTION CONCERNING THE TAXATION OF 25
PERSONAL PROPERTY AND REAL PROPERTY IN 26
THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. 27
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL 29
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND BY THE SENATE, A MAJORITY OF ALL 30
MEMBERS ELECTED TO EACH HOUSE AGREEING THERETO: 31
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THAT the following is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of 33
the State of Arkansas, and upon being submitted to the electors of the state 34
for approval or rejection at the next general election for Representatives 35
and Senators, if a majority of the electors voting thereon at the election 36 HJR1008
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adopt the amendment, the amendment shall become a part of the Constitution of 1
the State of Arkansas, to wit: 2
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SECTION 1. The Arkansas Constitution is amended to add an additional 4
amendment to read as follows: 5
§ 1. Reduction of taxation of personal property. 6
(a) The General Assembly may enact laws to: 7
(1) Reduce the rates on the taxation of personal property, 8
including without limitation laws: 9
(A) Providing that no tax shall be levied on personal 10
property; and 11
(B) Establishing a maximum rate of taxation of personal 12
property and subsequently modifying the maximum rate of taxation; and 13
(2) Create exemptions for the taxation of personal property. 14
(b) A law enacted by the General Assembly under this amendment: 15
(1) Requires a majority vote of each house of the General 16
Assembly for passage; and 17
(2) Supersedes any provision of the Arkansas Constitution in 18
conflict with the law. 19
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 30, § 1, is amended to 21
read as follows: 22
§ 1. Petition for tax levy — Election. 23
Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any city, having a 24
population of not less than 5,000, shall file a petition with the Mayor 25
asking that an annual tax on real and personal property real property, 26
personal property, or both real property and personal property be levied for 27
the purpose of maintaining and operating a public city library and shall 28
specify a rate of taxation not to exceed five mills on the dollar on real 29
property, or not to exceed five mills on the dollar on personal property, or 30
not to exceed five mills on the dollar on each type of property, real 31
property and personal property , the question as to whether such tax shall be 32
levied shall be submitted to the qualified electors of such city at a general 33
or special election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty days prior 34
to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The ballot 35
shall be in substantially the following form and may be adjusted to reflect 36 HJR1008
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whether the proposed annual tax would be upon real property, personal 1
property, or both real property and personal property : 2
For a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal property 3
to be used for maintenance and operation of a public city library. 4
Against a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal 5
property to be used for maintenance and operation of a public city library. 6
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SECTION 3. Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 30, § 5(a) and (b), 8
concerning tax levies for capital improvements to or construction of a public 9
city library, are amended to read as follows: 10
(a) Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any city, having a 11
population of not less than 5,000, shall file a petition with the Mayor 12
asking that an annual tax on real and personal property real property, 13
personal property, or both real property and personal property be levied for 14
capital improvements to or construction of a public city library and shall 15
specify a rate of taxation not to exceed three mills on the dollar on real 16
property, or not to exceed three mills on the dollar on personal property, or 17
not to exceed three mills on the dollar on each type of property, real 18
property and personal property , the question as to whether such tax shall be 19
levied shall be submitted to the qualified electors of such city at a general 20
or special election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty days prior 21
to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The ballot 22
shall be in substantially the following form and may be adjusted to reflect 23
whether the proposed annual tax would be upon real property, personal 24
property, or both real property and personal property : 25
For a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal property 26
to be used for capital improvements to or construction of a public city 27
library. 28
Against a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal 29
property to be used for capital improvements to or construction of a public 30
city library. 31
(b) The electors may authorize the governing body of the city to issue 32
bonds as prescribed by law for capital improvements to or construction of the 33
library and to authorize the pledge of all, or any part of, the tax 34
authorized by this section for the purpose of retiring the bonds. The ballot 35
submitting the question to the voters shall be in substantially the following 36 HJR1008
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form and may be adjusted to reflect whether the proposed annual tax would be 1
upon real property, personal property, or both real property and personal 2
property: 3
For a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal property 4
within the city, to be pledged to an issue or issues of bonds not to exceed 5
$ ___ , in aggregate principal amount, to finance capital improvements to or 6
construction of the city library and to authorize the issuance of the bonds 7
on such terms and conditions as shall be approved by the city. 8
Against a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal 9
property within the city, to be pledged to an issue or issues of bonds not to 10
exceed $ ___ , in aggregate principal amount, to finance capital improvements 11
to or construction of the city library and to authorize the issuance of the 12
bonds on such terms and conditions as they shall be approved by the city. 13
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SECTION 4. Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 38, § 1, is amended to 15
read as follows: 16
§ 1. Petition for tax levy — Election. 17
Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any county shall file a 18
petition in the County Court asking that an annual tax on real and personal 19
property real property, personal property, or both real property and personal 20
property be levied for the purpose of maintaining and operating a public 21
county library or a county library service or system and shall specify a rate 22
of taxation not to exceed five mills (5) mills on the dollar on real 23
property, or not to exceed five (5) mills on the dollar on personal property, 24
or not to exceed five (5) mills on the dollar on each type of property, real 25
property and personal property , the question as to whether said tax shall be 26
levied shall be submitted to the qualified electors of such county at a 27
general or special election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty 28
days prior to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The 29
ballot shall be in substantially the following form and may be adjusted to 30
reflect whether the proposed annual tax would be upon real property, personal 31
property, or both real property and personal property : 32
FOR a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal property 33
to be used for maintenance and operation of a public county library or county 34
library service or system. 35
AGAINST a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal 36 HJR1008
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property to be used for maintenance and operation of a public county library 1
or county library service or system. 2
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SECTION 5. Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 38, § 5(a) and (b), 4
concerning tax levies for capital improvements to or construction of a public 5
county library or a county library service or system, are amended to read as 6
follows: 7
(a) Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any county shall file a 8
petition in the County Court asking that an annual tax on real and personal 9
property real property, personal property, or both real property and personal 10
property be levied for the purpose of capital improvements to or construction 11
of a public county library or a county library service or system and shall 12
specify a rate of taxation not to exceed three mills on the dollar on real 13
property, or not to exceed three mills on the dollar on personal property, or 14
not to exceed three mills on the dollar on each type of property, real 15
property and personal property , the question as to whether said tax shall be 16
levied shall be submitted to the qualified electors of such county at a 17
general or special election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty 18
days prior to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The 19
ballot shall be in substantially the following form and may be adjusted to 20
reflect whether the proposed annual tax would be upon real property, personal 21
property, or both real property and personal property : 22
FOR a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal property 23
to be used for capital improvements to or construction of a public county 24
library or county library service or system. 25
AGAINST a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal 26
property to be used for capital improvements to or construction of a public 27
county library or county library service or system. 28
(b) The voters may authorize the County Court to issue bonds as 29
prescribed by law for capital improvements to or construction of the library 30
and to authorize the pledge of all, or any part of, the tax authorized in 31
Section 1 of this Amendment for the purpose of retiring the bonds. The ballot 32
submitting the question to the voters shall be in substantially the following 33
form and may be adjusted to reflect whether the proposed annual tax would be 34
upon real property, personal property, or both real property and personal 35
property: 36 HJR1008
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For a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal property 1
within the county, to be pledged to an issue or issues of bonds not to exceed 2
$ ___ , in aggregate principal amount, to finance capital improvements to or 3
construction of the county library or county library service or system, and 4
to authorize the issuance of the bonds on such terms and conditions as shall 5
be approved by the County Court. 6
Against a ___ mill tax on real property and a ___ mill tax on personal 7
property within the county, to be pledged to an issue or issues of bonds not 8
to exceed $ ___, in aggregate principal amount, to finance capital 9
improvements to or construction of the county library or county library 10
service or system, and to authorize the issuance of the bonds on such terms 11
and conditions as shall be approved by the County Court. 12
13
SECTION 6. Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 79, § 4(b), concerning 14
millage rates levied against is amended to read as follows: 15
§ 4. [Income adjustments — Personal property millage rate — Uniform 16
property tax rate requirement — Reassessment — Rollback adjustments]. 17
(a) The General Assembly shall, by law, provide for procedures to be 18
followed with respect to adjusting ad valorem taxes or millage pledged for 19
bonded indebtedness purposes, to assure that the tax or millage levied for 20
bonded indebtedness purposes will, at all times, provide a level of income 21
sufficient to meet the current requirements of all principal, interest, 22
paying agent fees, reserves, and other requirements of the bond indenture. 23
(b) The millage rate levied against taxable personal property and 24
utility and regulated carrier property in each taxing unit in the state shall 25
be equal to the millage rate levied against real property in each taxing unit 26
in the state. Personal property millage rates currently not equal to real 27
estate millage rates shall be reduced to the level of the real estate millage 28
rate; except to the extent necessary to provide a level of income sufficient 29
to meet the current requirements of all principal, interest, paying agent 30
fees, reserves, and other requirements of the bond indenture The millage rate 31
levied against taxable personal property and utility and regulated carrier 32
property in each taxing unit in the state and the millage rate levied against 33
real property in each taxing unit in the state may be differing rates and are 34
not required to be equal . 35
(c)(b) The provisions of this section shall not affect or repeal the 36 HJR1008
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required uniform rate of ad valorem property tax set forth in Amendment 74. 1
(d)(c) The General Assembly may, by law, prescribe the method and 2
means for reassessing real property and establish the frequency of 3
reassessment. However, reassessment shall occur at least once every five (5) 4
years. 5
(e)(d) Rollback adjustments under Article 16, Section 14 shall be 6
determined after the adjustments are made to assessed value under this 7
Amendment. 8
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SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This amendment is effective on and after 10
January 1, 2027. 11
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SECTION 8. BALLOT TITLE AND POPULAR NAME. When this proposed 13
amendment is submitted to the electors of this state on the general election 14
ballot: 15
(1) The title of this Joint Resolution shall be the ballot 16
title; and 17
(2) The popular name shall be "A Constitutional Amendment 18
Concerning the Taxation of Personal Property and Real Property in the State 19
of Arkansas; Authorizing the General Assembly to Reduce or Eliminate the 20
Taxation of Personal Property by Law and to Create Exemptions by Law for the 21
Taxation of Personal Property; and Repealing the Requirement that Personal 22
Property and Real Property Be Taxed at an Equal Rate.". 23
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