[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3921 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3921
To amend title 49, United States Code, to facilitate information
sharing between helicopter operators and the Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration regarding helicopter noise complaints,
to establish additional requirements on individuals and entities that
register a helicopter, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 7, 2023
Mr. Pascrell (for himself, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Nadler, Ms.
Velazquez, Mr. Bowman, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Raskin) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 49, United States Code, to facilitate information
sharing between helicopter operators and the Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration regarding helicopter noise complaints,
to establish additional requirements on individuals and entities that
register a helicopter, 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 ``Reduce Excessive Decibels and
Unwanted Commotion and Emissions to Heighten Enforcement and Limitation
of Intrusive Chopper Operations to Protect Towns and Enhance Residents
from Noise Act of 2023'' or the ``REDUCE HELICOPTER Noise Act of
2023''.
SEC. 2. HELICOPTER NOISE COMPLAINT ENFORCEMENT.
Section 46301 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by
striking ``or section 47133'' and inserting ``section 47133, or section
47512''.
SEC. 3. HELICOPTER NOISE COMPLAINT INFORMATION SHARING DATABASE.
(a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 475 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 47512. Helicopter noise complaint information sharing database
``(a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall establish and maintain a database for the Aircraft
Noise Ombudsman to receive, collect, and provide access to information
regarding helicopter noise complaints in accordance with this section.
``(b) Submissions.--
``(1) In general.--The Aircraft Noise Ombudsman shall
establish a process to receive complaint information in
accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3) for the input of
complaint information as required by subsection (c).
``(2) Required submissions.--Such process shall provide
that, not later than 48 hours after an owner or operator of a
helicopter receives a complaint from an individual, regardless
of whether the owner or operator who received such complaint is
the subject of that complaint, such owner or operator shall
submit to the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman such information
provided in the complaint and any other information as may be
specified by the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman, including--
``(A) whether such owner or operator is the subject
of the complaint; and
``(B) to the extent that the owner or operator is
the subject of the complaint that is being submitted, a
description of any action such owner or operator is
taking or plans to take to address the complaint.
``(3) Public submissions.--Such process shall provide for a
mechanism by which individuals may directly submit a complaint
pertaining to helicopter noise to the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman.
``(c) Inputs Required.--Not later than 48 hours after receiving a
submission described in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b), the
Aircraft Noise Ombudsman shall--
``(1) determine which owner or operator is the subject of
the submission;
``(2) determine whether the complaint that is the subject
of such submission is meritorious; and
``(3) input, with respect to any claim determined to be
meritorious under paragraph (2), information pertaining to such
submission into the database established by subsection (a).
``(d) Access.--
``(1) In general.--The Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration shall provide access to the database
established by subsection (a) to owners or operators of
helicopters to view submissions of complaints pertaining to
such owners or operators.
``(2) Privacy and indications of actions being taken.--
Access pursuant to paragraph (1) may be extended only to the
extent necessary for an owner or operator to--
``(A) view information included in submissions
pertaining to such owner or operator; and
``(B) pursuant to subsection (e)(2), add
information relating to actions that may be taken or
intended to be taken to address such complaints.
``(e) Notification.--
``(1) Notification by aircraft noise ombudsman.--In the
case the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman inputs a complaint into the
database that was not submitted by an owner or operator of a
helicopter that is the subject of the complaint, not later than
48 hours after such complaint is so inputted, the Aircraft
Noise Ombudsman shall notify such owner or operator that the
complaint has been input into the database.
``(2) Response by owner or operator.--Not later than 48
hours of being notified of a complaint pursuant to paragraph
(1), that is a meritorious complaint, as determined by the
Aircraft Noise Ombudsman, an owner or operator of a helicopter
shall input into the database an indication as to whether such
owner or operator is taking an action to address such
complaint.
``(f) Exception.--Subsections (b)(2), (d), and (e) shall not apply
with respect to complaints relating to helicopters owned or operated by
a military department (as defined in section 102 of title 5) or the
Coast Guard.
``(g) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this section, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure for the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation for the Senate a report that
includes the following:
``(1) The number of complaints received by the Aircraft
Noise Ombudsman that were then directed to the owner or
operator of a helicopter who was the subject of such complaint.
``(2) The number of complaints received by the Aircraft
Noise Ombudsman in which the appropriate owner or operator of a
helicopter could not be identified.
``(3) The number of complaints received by the Aircraft
Noise Ombudsman that were reported by--
``(A) an owner or operator of a helicopter; and
``(B) an individual.
``(4) The number of instances an owner or operator of a
helicopter indicated such owner or operated took an action to
address a complaint.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis of subchapter I of chapter
475 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``47512. Helicopter noise complaint information sharing database.''.
SEC. 4. HELICOPTER REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.
Section 44102 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following new subsection--
``(c) Submission and Verification of Information.--
``(1) Individuals.--Any individual who has registered a
helicopter under subsection (a), and any individual who has an
ownership interest of at least 10 percent in a helicopter
registered under such subsection, shall submit to the
Administrator the name, address, date of birth, driver's
license or pilot's license, or both, of such individual, and
any information necessary as determined by the Administrator.
``(2) Entities.--Any entity that has registered a
helicopter under subsection (a), and any entity that has an
ownership interest of at least 10 percent in a helicopter
registered under such subsection, shall submit to the
Administrator the name, physical address, principal place of
business, and taxpayer identification number of such entity,
and any information necessary as determined by the
Administrator.
``(3) Verification.--The Administrator shall verify the
information submitted and eligibility of entities registered
under this subsection through an independent review.''.
SEC. 5. DEALERS' CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRATION.
Section 44104 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``The Administrator'' and inserting the
following:
``(a) In General.--The Administrator'';
(2) in paragraph (1) by striking ``and'' at the end;
(3) in paragraph (2) by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) in the public interest for verifying any information
dealers submit for the issuance of a dealer's certificate.
``(b) Information for the Issuance of Dealers' Certificates.--For
any regulations prescribed under subsection (a)(2) for the issuance of
a dealer's certificate of registration, the Administrator shall
additionally require the dealer to furnish such information as may be
required by the Administrator.''.
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