This bill helps communities affected by airplane noise get money and support to reduce that noise problem. Right now, the federal government only helps communities that experience extremely high noise levels. This bill expands that help to include communities that live within a mile of where planes fly at 3,000 feet or lower, even if the noise isn't at the highest levels yet.

Here's how it works: Communities near flight paths can form a board to tell the FAA and airport operators about their noise problems. They can ask the FAA to study how the noise affects them, and the FAA has to create a plan to address their concerns. The government will also hire experts to develop better tools for measuring and understanding how aircraft noise impacts neighborhoods.

Most importantly, the bill provides grants that communities can use to reduce noise in homes, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, daycare centers, and churches. It specifically targets areas that have a lot of planes flying overhead frequently, and it gives extra attention to homes that are bothered by planes flying at night. Essentially, this bill opens the door for more communities to get federal money to soundproof buildings or take other steps to protect themselves from airplane noise.

Aviation-Impacted Communities Act

Smith, Adam

Aviation-Impacted Communities ActThis bill increases access to noise mitigation&nbsp;measures&nbsp;for aviation-impacted communities.&nbsp;Under the bill, an aviation-impacted community is a community that is located not more than one mile from any point at which a commercial or cargo jet route is 3,000 feet or less above ground level.The bill expands noise mitigation program funding under the Airport Improvement Program to include aviation-impacted communities that are not currently within the 65 day-night average sound level (DNL) standard.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must conduct outreach to aviation-impacted communities to inform them of the opportunity to be a designated community. A designated community must form a community board to provide information to airport operators and the FAA concerning aviation impacts (e.g., aircraft noise).A community board may petition the FAA to conduct a community assessment and, based on the assessment, the FAA must devise an action plan that alleviates or addresses the community’s concerns.In addition, the FAA must enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and provide the FAA with a framework and diagnostic tool for conducting community assessments.The FAA must provide grants for necessary noise mitigation in a designated community for residences, hospitals, nursing homes, adult or child day care centers, schools, and places of worship. Further, the FAA and airport operators must provide (1)&nbsp;noise mitigation grants for&nbsp;communities subject to significant frequency of overhead flights,&nbsp;and (2) noise mitigation for residences impacted by significant nighttime aircraft noise.