Inaccurate predictions of effective stiffness for reinforced concrete (RC) columns having plain (undeformed) longitudinal rebars may lead to unsafe performance assessment and strengthening of existing deficient frames. Currently utilized effective stiffness models cover RC columns reinforced with deformed longitudinal rebars. A database of 47 RC columns (33 columns had continuous rebars and the remaining had spliced reinforcement) that were longitudinally reinforced with plain rebars was compiled from literature. The existing effective stiffness equations were found to overestimate the effective stiffness of columns with plain rebars for all levels of axial loads. A new approach that considers the contributions of flexure, shear and bond slip to column deflections prior to yielding was proposed. The new effective stiffness formulations were simplified without loss of generality for columns with and without lap-spliced plain rebars. In addition, the existing stiffness models for the columns with deformed rebars were improved while taking poor bond characteristics of plain rebars into account.