,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eaea  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #d1       
#bjbe,ms4 ,meng 7for herself1 ,mr4      
,lynch1 ,mr4 ,min1 ,mr4 ,thanedar1 ,ms4 
,brownley1 ,mr4 ,fitzpatrick1 ,mr4      
,nadler1 ,mr4 ,beyer1 ,mr4 ,sherman1    
,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,mr4        
,goldman of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,levin1    
,mr4 ,neguse1 ,mr4 ,casten1 ,mr4        
,suozzi1 ,ms4 ,chu1 and ,mr4 ,carbajal7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce1 and in addition to the   
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure1 for a period to be     
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to reestablish the ,office  
of ,noise ,abatement and ,control in the
 ,environmental ,protection ,agency1 and
 for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,quiet   

,communities ,act of #bjbe4  #b4        
,findings ,congress finds that--  7#a7  
approximately #bh1jjj1jjj individuals in
 the ,united ,states are afflicted with 
some hearing impairment1 and it has been
 estimated that #aj1jjj1jjj of those    
impairments are at least partially      
attributable to damage from exposure to 
noise2  7#b7 for millions of individuals
 in the ,united ,states1 noise from     
aircraft1 vehicular traffic1 and a      
variety of other sources is a constant  
source of torment2  7#c7 millions of    
individuals in the ,united ,states are  
exposed to noise levels that can lead to
 sleep loss1 psychological and          
physiological damage1 and work          
disruption2  7#d7 chronic exposure to   
noise has been linked to increased risk 
of cardiovascular disorders1 learning   
deficits in children1 stress1 and       
diminished quality of life2  7#e7       
excessive noise leading to sleep        
deprivation and task interruptions can  
result in untold costs to society as a  

result of diminished worker             
productivity2  7#f7 pursuant to the     
,clean ,air ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #gdja et
 seq471 the ,noise ,control ,act of     
#aigb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dija et seq471 and
 the ,quiet ,communities ,act of #aigh  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dija note2 ,public ,law 
#ie-fji2 #ib ,stat4 #cjgi71 the         
,environmental ,protection ,agency      
established and maintained an ,office of
 ,noise ,abatement and ,control1 which  
has not received funding since #aihb2   
7#g7 responsibilities of the ,office of 
,noise ,abatement and ,control included 
promulgating noise emission standards1  
requiring product labeling1 facilitating
 the development of low-noise-emission  
products1 coordinating ,federal noise   
reduction programs1 assisting ,state and
 local noise abatement efforts1 and     
promoting noise education and research2 
7#h7 because the ,environmental         
,protection ,agency remains legally     
responsible for enforcing regulations   
issued under the ,noise ,control ,act of

 #aigb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dija et seq471   
even though funding for the activities  
of the ,office of ,noise ,abatement and 
,control described in paragraph 7#g7 was
 terminated1 and because that ,act      
prohibits ,state and local governments  
from regulating noise sources in many   
situations1 noise abatement programs    
across the ,united ,states lie dormant2 
and  7#i7 as population growth and air  
and vehicular traffic continue to       
increase1 noise pollution is likely to  
become an even greater problem in the   
future1 and the health and welfare of   
individuals in the ,united ,states      
demands that the ,environmental         
,protection ,agency1 the lead ,federal  
agency for the protection of public     
health and welfare1 once again assume a 
role in combating noise pollution4  #c4 
,reestablishment of ,office of ,noise   
,abatement and ,control  7a7            
,reestablishment ,the ,administrator of 
the ,environmental ,protection ,agency  
7referred to in this section as the     

,administrator7 shall reestablish within
 the ,environmental ,protection ,agency 
an ,office of ,noise ,abatement and     
,control 7referred to in this section as
 the ,office74  7b7 ,duties ,the        
responsibilities of the ,office shall   
include-- 7#a7 promoting the development
 of effective ,state and local noise    
control programs by providing ,states   
with technical assistance and grants to 
develop those programs1 including the   
purchasing of equipment for local       
communities2  7#b7 carrying out a       
national noise control research program 
to assess the impacts of noise from     
varied noise sources on mental and      
physical health2  7#c7 carrying out a   
national noise environmental assessment 
program--  7,a7 to identify trends in   
noise exposure and response1 ambient    
levels1 and compliance data2 and  7,b7  
to determine the effectiveness of noise 
abatement actions1 including actions for
 areas around major transportation      
facilities 7such as highways1 railroad  

facilities1 and airports72  7#d7        
developing and disseminating to the     
public information and educational      
materials relating to the mental and    
physical effects of noise and the most  
effective means for noise control       
through the use of materials for school 
curricula1 volunteer organizations1     
radio and television programs1          
publications1 and other means2  7#e7    
developing educational and training     
materials and programs1 including       
national and regional workshops1 to     
support ,state and local noise abatement
 and control programs2  7#f7            
establishing regional technical         
assistance centers to use the           
capabilities of institutions of higher  
education and private organizations to  
assist ,state and local noise control   
programs2 and  7#g7 undertaking an      
assessment of the effectiveness of the  
,noise ,control ,act of #aigb 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #dija et seq474  7c7          
,preferred ,approaches ,in carrying out 

the duties of the ,office under         
subsection 7b71 the ,office shall       
emphasize noise abatement approaches    
that rely on local and ,state           
activities1 market incentives1 and      
coordination with other public and      
private agencies4  7d7 ,study  7#a7 ,in 
general ,the ,administrator shall carry 
out a study of aircraft noise and the   
effects of that noise on surrounding    
communities4  7#b7 ,contracts and other 
agreements ,the ,administrator shall    
enter into contracts or other agreements
 with independent scientists with       
expertise in noise measurements1 noise  
effects1 and noise abatement techniques 
to conduct the study under paragraph    
7#a74  7#c7 ,contents ,the study under  
paragraph 7#a7 shall examine--  7,a7 the
 selection of noise measurement         
methodologies by the ,federal ,aviation 
,administration2  7,b7 the threshold of 
aircraft noise at which health impacts  
are felt2 and  7,c7 the effectiveness of
 aircraft noise abatement programs at   

airports around the ,united ,states4    
7#d7 ,report  7,a7 ,in general ,not     
later than #b years after the date of   
enactment of this ,act1 the             
,administrator shall submit to ,congress
 a report on the results of the study   
conducted under paragraph 7#a74  7,b7   
,requirements ,the report submitted     
under subparagraph 7,a7 shall include   
specific recommendations on new measures
 that can be implemented to mitigate the
 impact of aircraft noise on surrounding
 communities4  7e7 ,conforming amendment
 ,the ,noise ,pollution and ,abatement  
,act of #aigj 7,public ,law #ia-fjd2 #hd
 ,stat4 #agji7 is repealed4  #d4 ,grants
 under ,quiet ,communities ,program     
,section #ad of the ,noise ,control ,act
 of #aigb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #diac7 is      
amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7b7--  7,a7
 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a7 
by striking but not limited to2  7,b7 in
 paragraph 7#b7 by striking sections #f1
 #g1 and #h of this ,act and inserting  
section #f or #h of this ,act1 or       

section #ddgae of title #di1 ,united    
,states ,code2 and  7,c7 by             
redesignating paragraphs 7#a7 through   
7#e7 as subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,e71
 respectively1 and indenting            
appropriately2  7#b7 in subsection 7c7--
  7,a7 in the matter preceding paragraph
 7#a7 by striking but not be limited to 
and inserting in accordance with the    
,federal authority pursuant to this ,act
 to regulate sources of noise in        
interstate commerce2  7,b7 in paragraph 
7#a7--  7i7 in subparagraph 7,c7 by     
striking and1 at the end2  7ii7 by      
redesignating subparagraphs 7,a7 through
 7,d7 as clauses 7i7 through 7iv71      
respectively1 and indenting             
appropriately2 and  7iii7 by adding at  
the end the following3  7v7 establishing
 and implementing training programs on  
use of noise abatement equipment2 and   
7vi7 implementing noise abatement plans2
  2  7,c7 by striking the undesignated  
matter following paragraph 7#e72 and    
7,d7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#a7   

through 7#e7 as subparagraphs 7,a7      
through 7,e71 respectively1 and         
indenting appropriately2 and  7#c7 by   
redesignating subsections 7a7 through   
7g7 as paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#g71    
respectively1 and indenting             
appropriately4  #e4 ,authorization of   
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated for the ,office of      
,noise ,abatement and ,control          
reestablished under section #c7;a7      
#be1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years    
#bjbf through #bjcj4