Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas
2 94th General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2023 HOUSE BILL 1841
4
5 By: Representative L. Johnson
6
7 For An Act To Be Entitled
8 AN ACT TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION CONCERNING
9 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS; TO AMEND THE
10 DEFINITION OF "ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS" UNDER
11 ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 12, § 5; TO ESTABLISH
12 REQUIREMENTS FOR RETAIL FACILITIES THAT QUALIFY AS
13 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS; AND FOR OTHER
14 PURPOSES.
15
16
17 Subtitle
18 TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "ECONOMIC
19 DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS" UNDER ARKANSAS
20 CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 12, § 5; AND TO
21 ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR RETAIL
22 FACILITIES THAT QUALIFY AS ECONOMIC
23 DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
24
25
26 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
27
28 SECTION 1. Pursuant to authority granted to the General Assembly by
29 Arkansas Constitution, Article 12, § 5(d), Arkansas Constitution, Article 12,
30 § 5(c)(1), concerning the definition of "economic development projects", is
31 amended to read as follows:
32 (1) “Economic development projects” means the land, buildings,
33 furnishings, equipment, facilities, infrastructure, and improvements that are
34 required or suitable for the development, retention, or expansion of:
35 (A) Manufacturing, production, and industrial facilities;
36 (B) Research, technology, and development facilities;
*JLL354* 04/03/2023 2:33:01 PM JLL354
 HB1841
1 (C) Recycling facilities;
2 (D) Distribution centers;
3 (E) Call centers;
4 (F) Warehouse facilities;
5 (G) Job training facilities;
6 (H) Regional or national corporate headquarters
7 facilities; and
8 (I) Sports complexes designed to host local, state,
9 regional, and national competitions, including without limitation baseball,
10 softball, and other sports tournaments; and
11 (J) Facilities for the retail sale of goods that meet the
12 requirements established by the General Assembly;
13
14 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 14-176-102(3), concerning the definitions
15 used under the Local Job Creation, Job Expansion, and Economic Development
16 Act of 2017, is amended to add an additional subdivision to read as follows:
17 (3) “Economic development project” means the land, buildings,
18 furnishings, equipment, facilities, infrastructure, and improvements that are
19 required or suitable for the development, retention, or expansion of:
20 (A) Manufacturing, production, and industrial facilities;
21 (B) Research, technology, and development facilities;
22 (C) Recycling facilities;
23 (D) Distribution centers;
24 (E) Call centers;
25 (F) Warehouse facilities;
26 (G) Job training facilities;
27 (H) Regional or national corporate headquarters
28 facilities;
29 (I) Sports complexes designed to host local, state,
30 regional, and national competitions, including without limitation baseball,
31 softball, and other sports tournaments; and
32 (J) Facilities A facility for the retail sale of goods
33 that meet the following requirements:
34 (i) The owner of the facility is considering only
35 one (1) site in this state that is in competition with at least one (1) site
36 that is outside of this state;
2 04/03/2023 2:33:01 PM JLL354
 HB1841
1 (ii) The number of new full-time jobs that will be
2 created for the facility exceeds:
3 (a) For a facility located in an urban area,
4 seventy-five (75); and
5 (b) For a facility located in a rural area,
6 twenty-five (25);
7 (iii) The annual projected sales for the facility
8 are at least:
9 (a) Twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) if
10 the facility is located in an urban area; and
11 (b) Five million dollars ($5,000,000) if the
12 facility is located in a rural area;
13 (iv) The owner of the facility has demonstrated
14 significant levels of planned capital investment, as determined by the
15 Governor; and
16 (v) The governing bodies of the city and the county
17 in which the facility will be located facility have each adopted a resolution
18 in support of the facility;
19
20 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 14-176-102, concerning the definitions used
21 under the Local Job Creation, Job Expansion, and Economic Development Act of
22 2017, is amended to add additional subdivisions to read as follows:
23 (13) "Rural area" means an area:
24 (A) With a population below twenty thousand (20,000)
25 according to the most recent federal decennial census; and
26 (B) That is at least twenty (20) miles from a city or town
27 with a population of more than twenty thousand (20,000) according to the most
28 recent federal decennial census; and
29 (14) "Urban area" means an area of the state that is not a rural
30 area.
31
32
33
34
35
36
3 04/03/2023 2:33:01 PM JLL354


Statutes affected:
HB 1841: 14-176-102(3), 14-176-102