Aviation-Impacted Communities Act
The Aviation-Impacted Communities Act would push the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand and fund noise mitigation for communities affected by aviation, including many that lie outside the current 65 Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL) contour. It requires FAA to provide grants from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) for noise mitigation and other grants under a new section, and to establish community boards in designated aviation-impacted communities to address noise concerns. The bill also directs the FAA to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study aviation impacts at large hub airports, develop a framework and diagnostic tool for community assessments, and guide mitigation actions. It creates a process to designate communities, form and operate community boards, conduct community assessments, and develop action plans that may include changes to flight paths or procedures, sound insulation, and other mitigations. Funding would come from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, with a specified $750 million cap for 2025–2034 and a continuing appropriation mechanism thereafter subject to a small annual cap. In short, the bill aims to give more communities a voice and more resources to reduce noise and related impacts from aircraft operations.
Key Points
- 1Extends AIP noise mitigation funding and related grants to aviation-impacted communities that are not within the 65 DNL contour, and authorizes designation of these communities to form community boards.
- 2Requires the FAA to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study aviation impacts at large hub airports, develop a comprehensive framework and diagnostic tool for community assessments, and ensure the framework is usable by community boards and the public.
- 3Establishes a process to designate communities, including outreach to officials, local designation by request, and public designation on the FAA website; allows communities to select portions of a larger area to designate.
- 4Creates community boards with balanced representation (officials, airport operators, residents, health and environment) and requires FAA collaboration, including provision of an FAA designee to participate in meetings; authorizes community assessments and regional assessments.
- 5Requires action plans within six months of a community assessment, with potential changes to flight operations, flight paths, and vertical guidance if recommended by the assessment; includes an appeals process with an independent panel of health, environmental, and aviation experts, plus NAS input, and requires dissemination of findings.
- 6Establishes mitigation funding standards for noise reduction (sound insulation, barriers, and other measures) and expands eligible mitigation to neighborhoods with high flight frequency or significant night-time noise, including areas affected by late-night operations.
- 7Authorizes a total of $750 million for 2025–2034 to fund grants and related activities, with a continuing (but capped) appropriation mechanism after 2034; specifies use of funds for grants, a limited portion for FAA administration, and any residual amounts for other authorized grants.