To Exempt A Septic System Installer Licensed Under The Arkansas Sewage Disposal Systems Act From Licensure As A Plumber.
Summary
HB1447 amends Arkansas plumbing licensure law to create a narrow exemption for certain septic system installers. Specifically, it allows a person who is properly licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health under the Arkansas Sewage Disposal Systems Act to install the pipe from the stub-out pipe to the septic tank for onsite wastewater systems without also having to hold a plumber’s license.
The bill does not broadly change plumbing regulation; instead, it carves out one defined task related to septic and onsite wastewater installation. It ties the exemption to existing state licensing under the sewage disposal systems framework, meaning the installer must still be licensed by the Department of Health, but is relieved from duplicative plumber licensure for that limited work.
Impact
HB1447 amends Arkansas Code § 17-38-105, which lists exceptions to plumber licensure, by adding septic system installation work from the stub-out pipe to the septic tank as an exempt activity when performed by a properly licensed septic system installer. The practical effect is to reduce overlap between plumbing regulation and septic system regulation, while leaving the broader plumber licensing scheme intact. The bill affects septic installers, plumbers, and the Department of Health’s licensing regime for onsite wastewater systems.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House 93-0, the Senate 34-0, and later received concurrence on a Senate amendment with a 94-1 vote, indicating strong bipartisan approval. The voting record suggests lawmakers generally viewed the measure as a technical or clarifying licensing change rather than a major policy dispute.
Contention
No committee testimony or recorded debate was provided, and the vote history shows little visible opposition. Any potential point of contention would likely have centered on professional licensing boundaries—whether septic installers should be allowed to perform this pipe installation without a plumber’s license—but the overwhelming votes suggest that concern was either minimal or resolved through the bill’s narrow scope and its requirement that installers already be licensed under the sewage disposal systems law.