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HB521 • 2026

TAX/AD VALOREM TAX: (Constitutional Amendment) Authorizes a taxing authority to levy a millage at a rate lower than the maximum authorized rate under certain circumstances (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF RV See Note)

TAX/AD VALOREM TAX: (Constitutional Amendment) Authorizes a taxing authority to levy a millage at a rate lower than the maximum authorized rate under certain circumstances (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF RV See Note)

Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Roger Wilder III
Last action
2026-05-21
Official status
Sent to the Secretary of State
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details about the effective date or voting timeline beyond stating they are included in the Act.

Property Tax Amendment

This bill allows local taxing authorities to set property tax rates lower than the maximum allowed rate under certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows a taxing authority to levy a millage at a rate below the highest authorized rate if needed.
  • Requires public hearings before reducing the millage rate, with proper notice given in advance.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local taxing authorities who set property tax rates.
  • Property owners affected by changes in local millage rates.

Terms To Know

Millage
A rate of taxation, usually expressed as dollars per $100 of assessed value.
Taxing authority
An organization or government body responsible for collecting taxes in a specific area.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if voters reject the amendment.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect property tax revenue and local budgets.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-21 H

    Effective date: See Act.

  2. 2026-05-21 H

    Becomes Act No. 273.

  3. 2026-05-21 H

    Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House.

  4. 2026-05-13 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  5. 2026-05-13 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  6. 2026-05-11 H

    Received from the Senate without amendments.

  7. 2026-05-11 S

    Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  8. 2026-04-29 S

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

  9. 2026-04-28 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  10. 2026-04-27 S

    Reported favorably.

  11. 2026-04-14 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs.

  12. 2026-04-13 S

    Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

  13. 2026-04-13 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  14. 2026-04-09 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/13/2026.

  15. 2026-04-08 H

    Read by title, ordered reengrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

  16. 2026-04-07 H

    Reported without amendments (7-0).

  17. 2026-03-18 H

    Read by title, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.

  18. 2026-03-17 H

    Reported favorably (16-0). To be recommitted to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.

  19. 2026-03-09 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

  20. 2026-02-27 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

  21. 2026-02-26 H

    Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

  22. 2026-02-26 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

TAX/AD VALOREM TAX: (Constitutional Amendment) Authorizes a taxing authority to levy a millage at a rate lower than the maximum authorized rate under certain circumstances (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF RV See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
ENROLLED
ACT No. 2732026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 521
BY REPRESENTATIVES WILDER, AMEDEE, BAMBURG, BAYHAM, BERAULT,
BILLINGS, BOUDREAUX, BOURRIAQUE, BRASS, CARVER, CHASSION,
CHENEVERT, COATES, COX, CREWS, DESHOTEL, DEWITT, DICKERSON,
EDMONSTON, EGAN, FIRMENT, FONTENOT, FREIBERG, GALLE, HEBERT,
HORTON, KNOX, LACOMBE, JACOB LANDRY, MARTINEZ, MELERINE,
OWEN, SCHAMERHORN, TAYLOR, TURNER, WILEY, AND WRIGHT
1 A JOINT RESOLUTION
2 Proposing to amend Article VII, Section 23(C) of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to
3 ad valorem property tax millage rate adjustments; to provide for maximum
4 authorized millage rates; to provide for applicability; to provide for an effective date;
5 to provide for submission of the proposed amendment to the electors; and to provide
6 for related matters.
7 Section 1. Be it resolved by the Legislature of Louisiana, two-thirds of the members
8 elected to each house concurring, that there shall be submitted to the electors of the state of
9 Louisiana, for their approval or rejection in the manner provided by law, a proposal to
10 amend Article VII, Section 23(C) of the Constitution of Louisiana, to read as follows:
11 §23. Adjustment of Ad Valorem Tax Millages
12 Section 23.
13 * * *
14 (C) Increases Permitted. Nothing herein shall prohibit a taxing authority
15 from collecting, in the year in which Sections 18 and 20 of this Article are
16 implemented or in any subsequent year, a larger dollar amount of ad valorem taxes
17 by (1) levying additional or increased millages as provided by law or (2) placing
18 additional property on the tax rolls. Increases in the millage rate in excess of the
19 rates established as provided by Paragraph (B) above of this Section but not in excess
20 of the prior year's maximum authorized millage rate approved by this constitution
21 and approved by the taxing authority until the authorized millage rate expires may
22 be levied by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of a taxing authority without
23 further voter approval but only after a public hearing held in accordance with the
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 521 ENROLLED
1 open meetings law; however, in addition to any other requirements of the open
2 meetings law, public notice of the time, place, and subject matter of such hearing
3 shall be published on two separate days no less than thirty days before the public
4 hearing. Such public notice shall be published in the official journal of the taxing
5 authority, and another newspaper with a larger circulation within the taxing authority
6 than the official journal of the taxing authority, if there is one.
7 * * *
8 Section 2. Be it further resolved that the provisions of the amendment contained in
9 this Joint Resolution shall become effective January 1, 2027, and shall be applicable to all
10 taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2027.
11 Section 3. Be it further resolved that this proposed amendment shall be submitted
12 to the electors of the state of Louisiana at the statewide election to be held on November 3,
13 2026.
14 Section 4. Be it further resolved that on the official ballot to be used at the election,
15 there shall be printed a proposition, upon which the electors of the state shall be permitted
16 to vote YES or NO, to amend the Constitution of Louisiana, which proposition shall read as
17 follows:
18 Do you support an amendment to allow a local taxing authority to continue
19 to levy a lower millage rate without losing its ability to adjust to the
20 maximum authorized millage rate from a prior year's reassessment?
21 (Effective January 1, 2027) (Amends Article VII, Section 23(C))
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.