[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3650 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3650
To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the operation of
certain aircraft not complying with stage 4 noise levels, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 4, 2013
Mr. Crowley (for himself, Ms. Meng, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Quigley, Mr.
Himes, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Israel, and Mr. Sires) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the operation of
certain aircraft not complying with stage 4 noise levels, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Silent Skies Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) aircraft and airport noise is one of the most common
``quality of life'' nuisance issues in neighborhoods throughout
the United States; and
(2) the stage 4 aircraft noise certification standard
became applicable to new type design aircraft in 2006 pursuant
to an agreement signed by the International Civil Aviation
Organization, of which the United States is a member.
SEC. 3. AIRCRAFT NOISE REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND
IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERSHIP.
(a) Cooperative Agreement.--Subchapter I of chapter 475 of title
49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 47511. Aircraft noise reduction technology research,
development, and implementation partnership
``(a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall enter into a cooperative agreement, using a
competitive process, with an institution, entity, or consortium to
carry out a program for the development, maturing, and certification of
aircraft technology that will assist in-service and in-production civil
turbojets that have noise levels greater than the levels specified in
stage 4 noise standards in complying with such noise standards, as
required under subchapter II of this chapter, or more stringent noise
standards.
``(b) Terms and Conditions.--The Administrator may include in a
cooperative agreement entered into under this section terms and
conditions requiring a recipient of funds under the cooperative
agreement--
``(1) to conduct activities under the cooperative agreement
on a cost-shared basis, using Federal and non-Federal funds;
and
``(2) to make repayments to the United States of all or a
portion of the amounts received by the recipient under the
cooperative agreement, if an aircraft technology developed
under the cooperative agreement results in revenues for the
recipient.
``(c) Funding.--Of amounts appropriated under section 48102(a), not
more than $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014, 2015, and 2016 may
be used to carry out this section.
``(d) Report.--Beginning in fiscal year 2014, the Administrator
shall publish an annual report on the program established under this
section until completion of the program.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for such subchapter is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``47511. Aircraft noise reduction technology research, development, and
implementation partnership.''.
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON OPERATING CERTAIN AIRCRAFT NOT COMPLYING WITH
STAGE 4 NOISE LEVELS.
(a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 475 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 47535. Limitation on operating certain aircraft not complying
with stage 4 noise levels
``(a) Regulations.--Not later than December 3, 2015, the Secretary
of Transportation, in consultation with the International Civil
Aviation Organization, shall issue regulations to establish minimum
standards for civil turbojets to comply with stage 4 noise levels.
``(b) General Rule.--The Secretary shall issue regulations to
ensure that, except as provided in section 47529--
``(1) 25 percent of the civil turbojets with a maximum
weight of more than 75,000 pounds operating after December 31,
2020, to or from airports in the United States comply with the
stage 4 noise levels established under subsection (a);
``(2) 50 percent of such turbojets operating after December
31, 2025, to or from airports in the United States comply with
the stage 4 noise levels;
``(3) 75 percent of such turbojets operating after December
31, 2030, to or from airports in the United States comply with
the stage 4 noise levels; and
``(4) 100 percent of such turbojets operating after
December 31, 2035, to or from airports in the United States
comply with the stage 4 noise levels.
``(c) Foreign-Flag Aircraft.--
``(1) International standards.--The Secretary shall request
the International Civil Aviation Organization to add to its
Work Programme the consideration of international standards for
the phase-out of aircraft that do not comply with stage 4 noise
levels.
``(2) Enforcement.--The Secretary shall enforce the
requirements of this section with respect to foreign-flag
aircraft only to the extent that such enforcement is consistent
with United States obligations under international agreements.
``(d) Annual Report.--Beginning with calendar year 2016--
``(1) each air carrier shall submit to the Secretary an
annual report on the progress the carrier is making toward
complying with the requirements of this section and regulations
issued to carry out this section; and
``(2) the Secretary shall submit to Congress an annual
report on the progress being made toward that compliance.
``(e) Recertification Not Required.--
``(1) Limitation on statutory construction.--Nothing in
this section may be construed to require the recertification of
a civil turbojet that has been retrofitted to comply with or
otherwise already meets the stage 4 noise levels established
under subsection (a).
``(2) Means of demonstrating compliance with stage 4 noise
levels.--The Secretary shall specify means for demonstrating
that an aircraft complies with stage 4 noise levels without
requiring recertification.''.
(b) Nonaddition Rule.--
(1) In general.--Section 47529 of such title is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
(I) by striking ``subsonic''; and
(II) by striking ``November 4,
1990'' and inserting ``December 31,
2018'';
(ii) in paragraph (1) by striking ``stage
3'' and inserting ``stage 4''; and
(iii) in paragraph (2) by striking
``November 5, 1990'' and inserting ``January 1,
2019'';
(B) in subsection (b) by striking ``stage 3'' and
inserting ``stage 4''; and
(C) in subsection (c)(1) by striking ``November 5,
1990'' and inserting ``January 1, 2019''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection
take effect on December 31, 2018.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) In general.--Chapter 475 of such title is amended--
(A) in the chapter analysis--
(i) by striking the item relating to
section 47530 and inserting the following:
``47530. Nonapplication of certain requirements to aircraft outside the
48 contiguous States.'';
and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``47535. Nonapplication of certain requirements to aircraft outside the
48 contiguous States.'';
(B) in section 47530--
(i) by striking the section designation and
heading and inserting the following:
``Sec. 47530. Nonapplication of certain requirements to aircraft
outside the 48 contiguous States'';
(ii) by striking ``and 47529'' and
inserting ``, 47529, and 47535'';
(iii) by striking ``subsonic'';
(iv) by striking ``November 4, 1990'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2018''; and
(v) by striking ``stage 3'' and inserting
``stage 4''; and
(C) in section 47531 by striking ``or 47534'' and
inserting ``47534, or 47535''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendments made by clauses (iii),
(iv), and (v) of paragraph (1)(B) take effect on December 31,
2018.
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