Louisiana Allow Parishes to Exempt Business Inventory from Property Taxation Amendment (April 2026)

Louisiana Allow Parishes to Exempt Business Inventory from Property Taxation Amendment
Election date April 18, 2026
Topic Local government finance and taxes and Property tax exemptions
Status On the ballot
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

The Louisiana Allow Parishes to Exempt Business Inventory from Property Taxation Amendment is on the ballot in Louisiana as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on April 18, 2026.

A "yes" vote supports allowing parishes to exempt business inventory from property taxes.

A "no" vote opposes allowing parishes to exempt business inventory from property taxes.

Overview

What would this amendment do?

See also: Text of measure

This amendment would permit parishes to reduce or create an exemption for business inventory from property taxes. Business inventory would include property being held to sell and property held to be used in the production of a good that would be sold.

How do property tax exemptions and parish exemptions work in Louisiana?

See also: Background

Currently, Louisiana exempts several categories or property from local ad valorem taxes under Article VII of the state constitution, including homestead exemption, which exempts the first $7,500 of assessed value of a homeowner’s primary residence; exemptions for nonprofit, religious, charitable, and public property; exemptions for goods in transit; and certain types of public service property. Manufacturing establishments can also qualify for certain tax exemptions. Most exemptions are automatic and apply statewide, though some require local or voter approval.

The Louisiana Constitution also provides parishes some authority to approve or deny property tax exemptions in certain cases by allowing local taxing authorities (such as school boards, sheriffs, and parish governments) to approve or reject industrial tax exemptions under the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP).

How did this measure get on the ballot?

See also: Path to the ballot

In Louisiana, in order to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, a two-thirds vote is required during one session of the state legislature. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be placed on the ballot.

The amendment was introduced as House Bill 366 (HB 366) on April 3, 2025. It passed the House on April 29 by 34-5, then passed the Senate by 35-0 on June 8. On June 12, the House voted to adopt the final conference report by 96-0, and on the same day, the Senate voted to adopt the conference report by a vote of 36-0.

Text of measure

Ballot question

The ballot question is as follows:

“

Do you support an amendment to allow a parish to reduce or exempt property tax on property held as business inventory and to provide for the classification of Public Service Property? (Amends Article VII, Sections 10.15(F)(1) and 18(A) and (B); Adds Article VII, Sections 20.1, 20.2, and 21(P))

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Louisiana Constitution

The ballot measure would amend Article VII, Section 10.15 and Section 18 of the Louisiana Constitution, as well as add Article VII, Sections 20.1, 20.2, and 21(P) of the Louisiana Constitution. The following underlined text would be added and struck-through text would be deleted:

Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.

Text of Section 10.15:

The Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund

(A) The Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund is hereby established in the state treasury as a special trust fund, hereinafter referred to as the "fund".

(B) After allocation of money to the Bond Redemption and Security Fund as provided in Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, the treasurer shall deposit in and credit to the fund the revenues as provided for in Paragraphs (C) and (D) of this Section.

(C) The treasurer shall deposit into the fund the amount of mineral revenues as provided in Section 10.16 of this constitution.

(D) The treasurer shall deposit into the fund the amount of revenues in excess of six hundred million dollars received each fiscal year from corporate franchise and income taxes as recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference.

(E)(1) Except as provided for in Paragraph (F) of this Section, monies deposited into the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund shall be permanently credited to the trust fund and shall be invested by the treasurer in a manner provided for by law.

(2) The treasurer shall deposit all interest or other income from investment generated from the fund into the state general fund.

(F)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this constitution and in Subparagraphs (2) and (3) of this Paragraph, no appropriations shall be made from the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund.

(2)(a) In any fiscal year in which the balance of the fund at the beginning of the year is in excess of five billion dollars, hereinafter referred to as the minimum fund balance, the legislature may appropriate an amount not to exceed ten percent of the fund balance, hereinafter referred to as the allowable percentage, for the following:

(i) Capital outlay projects in the comprehensive state capital budget.

(ii) Transportation infrastructure.

(b) The minimum fund balance or the allowable percentage may be change by a law enacted by two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature.

(3) In order to ensure the money in the fund is available for appropriation in an emergency, the legislature may authorize an appropriation from the fund at any time for any purpose only after the consent of two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature. If the legislature is not in session, the two-thirds requirement may be satisfied upon obtaining the written consent of two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature in a manner provided by law.

Text of Section 18:

Ad Valorem Taxes

(A) Assessments. Property subject to ad valorem taxation shall be listed on the assessment rolls at its assessed valuation, which, except as provided in Paragraphs (C) and (G) of this Section and Article VII, Section 21(P) of this Constitution, shall be a percentage of its fair market value. The percentage of fair market value shall be uniform throughout the state upon the same class of property.

(B) Classification. (1) The classifications of property subject to ad valorem taxation and the percentage of fair market value applicable to each classification for the purpose of determining assessed valuation are as follows:

Classifications Percentages

1.(a) Land 10%

2.(b) Improvements for residential purposes 10%

3.(c) Electric cooperative properties, excluding land 15%

4.(d) Public service properties; excluding land 25%

(e) Public Service property, excluding land, owned by a railroad company. 15%

(f) Business inventory 15%

5.(g) Other property 15%

(2)The legislature may enact laws defining electric cooperative properties and public service properties.

(C) Use Value. Bona fide agricultural, horticultural, marsh, and timber lands, as defined by general law, shall be assessed for tax purposes at ten percent of use value rather than fair market value. The legislature may provide by law similarly for buildings of historic architectural importance.

(D) Valuation. Each assessor shall determine the fair market value of all property subject to taxation within his respective parish or district except public service properties, which shall be valued at fair market value by the Louisiana Tax Commission or its successor. Each assessor shall determine the use value of property which is to be so assessed under the provisions of Paragraph (C). Fair market value and use value of property shall be determined in accordance with criteria which shall be established by law and which shall apply uniformly throughout the state.

(E) Review. The correctness of assessments by the assessor shall be subject to review first by the parish governing authority, then by the Louisiana Tax Commission or its successor, and finally by the courts, all in accordance with procedures established by law.

(F) Reappraisal. All property subject to taxation shall be reappraised and valued in accordance with this Section, at intervals of not more than four years.

(G)(1) Special Assessment Level.

(a)(i) The assessment of residential property receiving the homestead exemption which is owned and occupied by any person or persons sixty-five years of age or older and who meet all of the other requirements of this Section shall not be increased above the total assessment of that property for the first year that the owner qualifies for and receives the special assessment level.

(ii) Any person or persons shall be prohibited from receiving the special assessment as provided in this Section if such person or persons' adjusted gross income, as reported in the federal tax return for the year prior to the application for the special assessment, exceeds fifty thousand dollars. For persons applying for the special assessment whose filing status is married filing separately, the adjusted gross income for purposes of this Section shall be determined by combining the adjusted gross income on both federal tax returns. Beginning for the tax year 2001, and for each tax year thereafter, the fifty thousand dollar limit shall be adjusted annually by the Consumer Price Index as reported by the United States Government.

(iii) An eligible owner shall apply for the special assessment level by filing a signed application establishing that the owner qualifies for the special assessment level with the assessor of the parish or, in the parish of Orleans, the assessor of the district where the property is located.

(b) Any millage rate applied to the special assessment level shall not be subject to a limitation.

(2) The special assessment level shall remain on the property as long as:

(a) That owner, or that owner's surviving spouse who is fifty-five years of age or older or who has minor children, remains the owner of the property.

(b) The value of the property does not increase more than twenty-five percent because of construction or reconstruction.

(3) A new or subsequent owner of the property may claim a special assessment level when eligible under this Section. The new owner is not necessarily entitled to the same special assessment level on the property as when that property was owned by the previous owner.

(4)(a) The special assessment level on property that is sold shall automatically expire on the last day of December in the year prior to the year that the property is sold. The property shall be immediately revalued at fair market value by the assessor and shall be assessed by the assessor on the assessment rolls in the year it was sold at the assessment level provided for in Article VII, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana.

(b) This new assessment level shall remain in effect until changed as provided by this Section or this Constitution.

§20.1. Ad valorem tax; Business inventory tax exemption prohibition

Section 20.1. Notwithstanding any provision of this constitution to the contrary, the legislature shall not enact any law mandating any taxing authority to exempt business inventory from ad valorem tax. For purposes of this Section, "business inventory" means the aggregate of those items of tangible personal property that are held for sale in the ordinary course of business, are currently in the process of production for subsequent sale, or are to physically become a part of the production of such goods.

§20.2. Ad Valorem Tax Exemption Funding Section 20.2. There shall be a one-time payment from the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund to each parish that elects to irrevocably exempt, in accordance with law, all business inventory within its boundaries from ad valorem tax. Any payment made pursuant to this Section shall be disbursed by the treasurer to the tax collector of the parish. The tax collector shall distribute the monies pro rata to each taxing authority that levies an ad valorem tax within the parish. The amount of the payment shall be calculated as provided by law and certified by the Department of Revenue. Notwithstanding any provision of this constitution to the contrary, monies shall be disbursed by the treasurer to the collector within thirty days of receipt of a certification from the secretary of the Department of Revenue that the parish has irrevocably elected to exempt business inventory from ad valorem tax.

§21. Other Property Exemptions

Section 21. In addition to the homestead exemption provided for in Section 20 of this Article, the following property and no other shall be exempt from ad valorem taxation:

(P)(1) There shall be an optional ad valorem tax exemption on items constituting business inventory, as defined in Article VII, Section 20.1 of this Constitution. The optional exemption shall only be effective in parishes in which the sheriff, school board, and the parish governing authority all elect to exempt business inventory from ad valorem taxation. (2) A parish may elect to exempt all property constituting business inventory or may elect to provide for a partial exemption of property constituting business inventory by reducing the percentage of fair market value applicable to such property only if all of the following agree to the election: the sheriff, the school board, and the parish governing authority.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• State Rep. Daryl Deshotel (R)

Arguments

Ballotpedia has not located arguments in support of the ballot measure. You can share arguments, along with source links for this information, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Opposition

Opponents

Ballotpedia has not located a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure. You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Arguments

Ballotpedia has not located arguments in opposition to the ballot measure. You can share arguments, along with source links for this information, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Louisiana ballot measures

Ballotpedia did not identify ballot measure committees registered to support or oppose the ballot measure.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Background

Property tax exemptions and parish exemptions in Louisiana

As of 2025, Louisiana exempted several categories of property from local ad valorem taxes under Article VII of the state constitution. These include the homestead exemption, which exempts the first $7,500 of assessed value of a homeowner’s primary residence; exemptions for nonprofit, religious, charitable, and public property; exemptions for goods in transit; and certain types of public service property. Additionally, manufacturing establishments may qualify for the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP), which offers up to 10 years of exemption on new or expanded manufacturing facilities, subject to state and local approval. Most exemptions are automatic and apply statewide, though some—such as special exemptions for disabled veterans or assessment freezes for seniors—require local or voter approval.

The Louisiana Constitution also provided parishes some authority to approve or deny property tax exemptions in certain cases. Article VII, Section 21(F) allowed local taxing authorities—including school boards, sheriffs, and parish governments—to approve or reject industrial tax exemptions under the ITEP program.

Path to the ballot

Amending the Louisiana Constitution

See also: Amending the Louisiana Constitution

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one session of the Louisiana State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 70 votes in the Louisiana House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Louisiana State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. Amendments can be referred to the ballot in odd-numbered years and even-numbered years in Louisiana.

House Bill 366 (2025)

The following is the timeline of the constitutional amendment in the state legislature:

• April 3, 2025: The amendment, House Bill 366 (HB 366), was introduced to the Louisiana State Legislature.
• April 29, 2025: The Louisiana House of Representatives passed the amendment in a vote of 34-5.
• June 8, 2025: The Louisiana State Senate passed the amendment in a vote of 35-0.
• June 12, 2025: The House voted to adopt the final conference report by 96-0. The same day, the Senate voted to adopt the conference report by a vote of 36-0.

Partisan Direction Index = 0.0% (Bipartisan)

Democratic Support

100%

Republican Support

100%

Louisiana House of Representatives

Voted on June 12, 2025

Votes Required to Pass: 70
	Yes	No	NV
Total	96	0	9
Total %	91.4%	0%	8.5%
Democratic (D)	26	0	6
Republican (R)	70	0	3

Louisiana State Senate

Voted on June 12, 2025

Votes Required to Pass: 23
	Yes	No	NV
Total	36	0	3
Total %	92.3%	0%	7.6%
Democratic (D)	9	0	2
Republican (R)	27	0	1

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Louisiana

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Louisiana.

How to vote in Louisiana

Poll times

In Louisiana, polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central time for Tuesday elections. For Saturday elections, polls open at 7:00 a.m. If the polls close while a voter is in line, he or she will still be permitted to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Louisiana, one must provide documentary proof of United States citizenship and be a resident of the state and parish in which they register. A voter must be at least 18 years old by Election Day.

Registration completed via mail or in person must occur at least 30 days before Election Day. Registration completed online must occur at least 20 days before Election Day. Registrants must present a valid form of identification to register. Pre-registration is available beginning at age 16.

Voters may register in person at any Registrar of Voters office or any of the following places:

• Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles
• Louisiana Department of Social Services
• WIC offices
• Food stamp offices
• Medicaid offices
• Offices and agencies serving people with disabilities
• Military recruitment offices

Automatic registration

Louisiana does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Louisiana has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Louisiana does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Louisiana law requires 20 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Louisiana state law requires a voter registration applicant to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. As of June 2025, the state had not implemented the requirement.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site Geaux Vote, run by the Louisiana Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Louisiana requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

Voters can present the following forms of identification. This list was current as of August 14, 2024. Click here to ensure you have the most current information.

• Louisiana driver's license
• Louisiana special identification card
• LA Wallet digital driver's license
• Military ID or other generally recognized picture identification card that contains the name and signature of the voter

Voters who do not have accepted ID may vote by completing a voter identification affidavit. By law, voters who sign an affidavit may be challenged.

Registered voters can bring their voter information card to the Office of Motor Vehicles to receive a free Louisiana special identification card.

See also

2026 measures

• 2026 ballot measures
• Property tax exemptions on the ballot
• Business taxes on the ballot

Louisiana

• Louisiana ballot measures
• Louisiana ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Louisiana House Bill 366

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