Silent Skies Act of 2015

Summary: Silent Skies Act of 2015  This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration to enter into a competitive cooperative agreement with an institution, entity, or consortium to carry out a program for the development of aircraft technology that will assist in-service and in-production civil turbojets not meeting stage 4 noise standards to comply with those or more stringent standards. The Department of Transportation (DOT) must: (1) issue regulations to establish minimum standards to ensure that graduated percentages of civil turbojets weighing over 75,000 pounds comply with the stage 4 noise levels by specified dates, and (2) report annually on the progress made by air carriers in complying with such standards. 100% of such turbojets operating after December 31, 2037, must comply with stage 4 levels. DOT 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. The requirements of this Act shall not apply to civil turbojet aircraft that operate outside of the 48 contiguous states. DOT may not issue a type certificate for: (1) a civil turbojet with a maximum weight of more than 75,000 pounds on and after December 31, 2017, unless the applicant demonstrates that such turbojet complies with stage 5 noise levels; and (2) any civil turbojet on and after December 31, 2020, unless the applicant demonstrates that such turbojet complies with stage 5 noise levels.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Silent Skies Act of 2015''.

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 chapter 14 aircraft noise certification standard 
        (to be known as stage 5) became applicable to new type design 
        aircraft in 2014 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 2017, 2018, and 2019 may 
be used to carry out this section.
    ``(d) Report.--Beginning in fiscal year 2017, 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 31, 2016, 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, 
        2022, 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, 2027, 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, 2032, 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, 2037, 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 2020--
            ``(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, 
                                2020'';
                            (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, 
                        2021'';
                    (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, 2021''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        take effect on December 31, 2020.
    (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. Limitation on operating certain aircraft not complying with 
                            stage 4 noise levels.'';
                    (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, 2020''; 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, 
        2020.

SEC. 5. STANDARDS FOR ISSUANCE OF TYPE CERTIFICATES.

    (a) Applicability of Stage 5 Noise Standards to Civil Turbojets 
With a Maximum Weight of More Than 75,000 Pounds.--On and after 
December 31, 2017, the Secretary of Transportation may not issue a type 
certificate for a civil turbojet with a maximum weight of more than 
75,000 pounds unless the person applying for the type certificate 
demonstrates that the civil turbojet complies with stage 5 noise 
levels.
    (b) Applicability of Stage 5 Noise Standards to All Civil 
Turbojets.--On and after December 31, 2020, the Secretary may not issue 
a type certificate for any civil turbojet unless the person applying 
for the type certificate demonstrates that the civil turbojet complies 
with stage 5 noise levels.