Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H4/10/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1955
4
5 By: Representative S. Meeks
6 By: Senator Irvin
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO REPEAL THE SHIELDED OUTDOOR LIGHTING ACT;
10 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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12
13 Subtitle
14 TO REPEAL THE SHIELDED OUTDOOR LIGHTING
15 ACT.
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17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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19 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 8, Chapter 14, is repealed.
20 CHAPTER 14
21 SHIELDED OUTDOOR LIGHTING ACT
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23 8-14-101. Title.
24 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Shielded Outdoor
25 Lighting Act".
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27 8-14-102. Purpose.
28 The purpose of this chapter is to conserve energy and preserve the
29 environment through the regulation of outdoor lighting fixtures.
30
31 8-14-103. Definitions.
32 As used in this chapter:
33 (1) "Outdoor lighting fixture" means an automatically
34 controlled, outdoor artificial illuminating device, whether permanent or
35 portable, used for illumination or advertisement, including searchlights,
36 spotlights, and floodlights, whether for architectural lighting, parking lot
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1 lighting, landscape lighting, billboards, or street lighting; and
2 (2) "Shielded" means a fixture that is covered in a manner that
3 light rays emitted by the fixture, either directly from the lamp or
4 indirectly from the fixture, are projected below a horizontal plane running
5 through the lowest point on the fixture where light is emitted.
6
7 8-14-104. Shielding -- Prohibitions -- Exemptions.
8 (a)(1)(A) No public funds shall be used to install an outdoor lighting
9 fixture unless it is shielded.
10 (B) Subdivision (a)(1)(A) of this section does not apply
11 to any municipality or county if the governing body of the municipality or
12 county determines by ordinance or to a municipally owned utility if the
13 municipal employee responsible for procurement determines that the cost of
14 acquiring a shielded outdoor lighting fixture will be prohibitive after
15 comparing:
16 (i) The cost of the fixtures; and
17 (ii) The projected energy cost of the operation of
18 the fixtures.
19 (2) The Division of Environmental Quality shall promulgate rules
20 prohibiting any person or entity from knowingly placing or disposing of the
21 bulb or tube portion of an electric lighting device containing hazardous
22 levels of mercury in a landfill if:
23 (A) The electric lighting device contains more than two-
24 tenths milligram per liter (0.2 mg/l) of leachable mercury as measured by the
25 Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure as set out in United States
26 Environmental Protection Agency Test Method 1311; and
27 (B) Adequate facilities exist for the public to properly
28 dispose of the electric lighting device described in subdivision (a)(2)(A) of
29 this section.
30 (3)(A) Each electric public utility shall offer a shielded
31 lighting service option.
32 (B) Each electric public utility shall file an application
33 with the Arkansas Public Service Commission to establish a schedule of rates
34 and charges for the provision of a shielded lighting service option to the
35 utility's customers.
36 (C) The commission shall require each electric public
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1 utility to inform its customers of the availability of the shielded lighting
2 service.
3 (b) This chapter does not apply to acquisitions of:
4 (1) Incandescent outdoor lighting fixtures of one hundred fifty
5 watts (150 W) or less or other light sources of seventy watts (70 W) or less;
6 (2) Outdoor lighting fixtures on advertisement signs on
7 interstate or federal primary highways;
8 (3)(A) Outdoor lighting fixtures existing and legally installed
9 before August 12, 2005.
10 (B) However, if an existing outdoor lighting fixture
11 exempted from this chapter under subdivision (b)(3)(A) of this section needs
12 to be replaced, the acquisition of the replacement outdoor lighting fixture
13 shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter;
14 (4) Navigational lighting systems at airports or other lighting
15 necessary for aircraft safety; and
16 (5) Outdoor lighting fixtures that are necessary for worker
17 safety at farms, ranches, dairies, or feedlots or industrial, mining, or oil
18 and gas facilities.
19 (c) This chapter does not apply to outdoor lighting fixtures
20 maintained or installed by:
21 (1) A public school district;
22 (2) A correctional facility;
23 (3) A juvenile detention facility;
24 (4) An adult detention facility;
25 (5) A mental health facility; or
26 (6) A state-supported institution of higher education.
27
28 8-14-105. Penalties.
29 Violations of this chapter are punishable by:
30 (1) A warning for a first offense; and
31 (2) A fine of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) minus the replacement
32 cost for each offending outdoor lighting fixture for a second or subsequent
33 offense or for an offense that continues for thirty (30) calendar days from
34 the date of the warning.
35
36 8-14-106. Enforcement.
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As Engrossed: H4/10/25 HB1955
1 This chapter may be enforced by a town, city, or county of this state
2 by seeking injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction.
3
4 8-14-107. Provisions supplemental.
5 The provisions of this chapter are cumulative and supplemental and
6 shall not apply within a town, city, or county of this state that by
7 ordinance has adopted provisions restricting light pollution that are equal
8 to or more stringent than the provisions of this chapter.
9
10 /s/S. Meeks
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4 04-10-2025 09:33:26 JMB287Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.