I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4171 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the operation of certain 

aircraft not complying with stage 4 noise levels, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 3, 2015 

Mr. CROWLEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the operation of certain aircraft not complying with stage 4 noise 

levels, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Silent Skies Act of 

5 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1) aircraft and airport noise is one of the most 

9 common ‘‘quality of life’’ nuisance issues in neigh10 borhoods throughout the United States; and 


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1 (2) the chapter 14 aircraft noise certification 

2 standard (to be known as stage 5) became applicable 

3 to new type design aircraft in 2014 pursuant to an 

4 agreement signed by the International Civil Aviation 

5 Organization, of which the United States is a mem6 ber. 

7 SEC. 3. AIRCRAFT NOISE REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY RE8 SEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND IMPLEMENTA9 TION PARTNERSHIP. 

10 (a) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.—Subchapter I of 

11 chapter 475 of title 49, United States Code, is amended 

12 by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘§ 47511. Aircraft noise reduction technology re14 search, development, and implementation 

15 partnership 

16 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Fed17 eral Aviation Administration shall enter into a cooperative 

18 agreement, using a competitive process, with an institu19 tion, entity, or consortium to carry out a program for the 

20 development, maturing, and certification of aircraft tech21 nology that will assist in-service and in-production civil 

22 turbojets that have noise levels greater than the levels 

23 specified in stage 4 noise standards in complying with 

24 such noise standards, as required under subchapter II of 

25 this chapter, or more stringent noise standards. 


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1 ‘‘(b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The Administrator 

2 may include in a cooperative agreement entered into under 

3 this section terms and conditions requiring a recipient of 

4 funds under the cooperative agreement— 

5 ‘‘(1) to conduct activities under the cooperative 

6 agreement on a cost-shared basis, using Federal and 

7 non-Federal funds; and 

8 ‘‘(2) to make repayments to the United States 

9 of all or a portion of the amounts received by the 

10 recipient under the cooperative agreement, if an air11 craft technology developed under the cooperative 

12 agreement results in revenues for the recipient. 

13 ‘‘(c) FUNDING.—Of amounts appropriated under sec14 tion 48102(a), not more than $10,000,000 for each of fis15 cal years 2017, 2018, and 2019 may be used to carry out 

16 this section. 

17 ‘‘(d) REPORT.—Beginning in fiscal year 2017, the 

18 Administrator shall publish an annual report on the pro19 gram established under this section until completion of the 

20 program.’’. 

21 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for such 

22 subchapter is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘47511. Aircraft noise reduction technology research, development, and implementation partnership.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON OPERATING CERTAIN AIRCRAFT 

2 NOT COMPLYING WITH STAGE 4 NOISE LEV3 ELS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 475 of 

5 title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

6 end the following: 

7 ‘‘§ 47535. Limitation on operating certain aircraft not 

8 complying with stage 4 noise levels 

9 ‘‘(a) REGULATIONS.—Not later than December 31, 

10 2016, the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation 

11 with the International Civil Aviation Organization, shall 

12 issue regulations to establish minimum standards for civil 

13 turbojets to comply with stage 4 noise levels. 

14 ‘‘(b) GENERAL RULE.—The Secretary shall issue 

15 regulations to ensure that, except as provided in section 

16 47529— 

17 ‘‘(1) 25 percent of the civil turbojets with a 

18 maximum weight of more than 75,000 pounds oper19 ating after December 31, 2022, to or from airports 

20 in the United States comply with the stage 4 noise 

21 levels established under subsection (a); 

22 ‘‘(2) 50 percent of such turbojets operating 

23 after December 31, 2027, to or from airports in the 

24 United States comply with the stage 4 noise levels; 

25 ‘‘(3) 75 percent of such turbojets operating 

26 after December 31, 2032, to or from airports in the 


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1 United States comply with the stage 4 noise levels; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(4) 100 percent of such turbojets operating 

4 after December 31, 2037, to or from airports in the 

5 United States comply with the stage 4 noise levels. 

6 ‘‘(c) FOREIGN-FLAG AIRCRAFT.— 

7 ‘‘(1) INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS.—The Sec8 retary shall request the International Civil Aviation 

9 Organization to add to its Work Programme the 

10 consideration of international standards for the 

11 phase-out of aircraft that do not comply with stage 

12 4 noise levels. 

13 ‘‘(2) ENFORCEMENT.—The Secretary shall en14 force the requirements of this section with respect to 

15 foreign-flag aircraft only to the extent that such en16 forcement is consistent with United States obliga17 tions under international agreements. 

18 ‘‘(d) ANNUAL REPORT.—Beginning with calendar 

19 year 2020— 

20 ‘‘(1) each air carrier shall submit to the Sec21 retary an annual report on the progress the carrier 

22 is making toward complying with the requirements 

23 of this section and regulations issued to carry out 

24 this section; and 


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1 ‘‘(2) the Secretary shall submit to Congress an 

2 annual report on the progress being made toward 

3 that compliance. 

4 ‘‘(e) RECERTIFICATION NOT REQUIRED.— 

5 ‘‘(1) LIMITATION ON STATUTORY CONSTRUC6 TION.—Nothing in this section may be construed to 

7 require the recertification of a civil turbojet that has 

8 been retrofitted to comply with or otherwise already 

9 meets the stage 4 noise levels established under sub10 section (a). 

11 ‘‘(2) MEANS OF DEMONSTRATING COMPLIANCE

12 WITH STAGE 4 NOISE LEVELS.—The Secretary shall 

13 specify means for demonstrating that an aircraft 

14 complies with stage 4 noise levels without requiring 

15 recertification.’’. 

16 (b) NONADDITION RULE.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 47529 of such title 

18 is amended— 

19 (A) in subsection (a)— 

20 (i) in the matter preceding paragraph 

21 (1)— 

22 (I) by striking ‘‘subsonic’’; and 

23 (II) by striking ‘‘November 4, 

24 1990’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 

25 2020’’; 


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1 (ii) in paragraph (1) by striking 

2 ‘‘stage 3’’ and inserting ‘‘stage 4’’; and 

3 (iii) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘No4 vember 5, 1990’’ and inserting ‘‘January 

5 1, 2021’’; 

6 (B) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘stage 3’’ 

7 and inserting ‘‘stage 4’’; and 

8 (C) in subsection (c)(1) by striking ‘‘No9 vember 5, 1990’’ and inserting ‘‘January 1, 

10 2021’’. 

11 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

12 by this subsection take effect on December 31, 

13 2020. 

14 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 475 of such title is 

16 amended— 

17 (A) in the chapter analysis— 

18 (i) by striking the item relating to sec19 tion 47530 and inserting the following: 

‘‘47530. Nonapplication of certain requirements to aircraft outside the 48 contiguous States.’’; 

20 and 

21 (ii) by adding at the end the fol22 lowing: 

‘‘47535. Limitation on operating certain aircraft not complying with stage 4 

noise levels.’’; 

23 (B) in section 47530— 


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1 (i) by striking the section designation 

2 and heading and inserting the following: 

3 ‘‘§ 47530. Nonapplication of certain requirements to 

4 aircraft outside the 48 contiguous States’’; 

5 (ii) by striking ‘‘and 47529’’ and in6 serting ‘‘, 47529, and 47535’’; 

7 (iii) by striking ‘‘subsonic’’; 

8 (iv) by striking ‘‘November 4, 1990’’ 

9 and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2020’’; and 

10 (v) by striking ‘‘stage 3’’ and insert11 ing ‘‘stage 4’’; and 

12 (C) in section 47531 by striking ‘‘or 

13 47534’’ and inserting ‘‘47534, or 47535’’. 

14 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

15 by clauses (iii), (iv), and (v) of paragraph (1)(B) 

16 take effect on December 31, 2020. 

17 SEC. 5. STANDARDS FOR ISSUANCE OF TYPE CERTIFI18 CATES. 

19 (a) APPLICABILITY OF STAGE 5 NOISE STANDARDS

20 TO CIVIL TURBOJETS WITH A MAXIMUM WEIGHT OF

21 MORE THAN 75,000 POUNDS.—On and after December 

22 31, 2017, the Secretary of Transportation may not issue 

23 a type certificate for a civil turbojet with a maximum 

24 weight of more than 75,000 pounds unless the person apVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:06 Dec 05, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4171.IH H4171

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1 plying for the type certificate demonstrates that the civil 

2 turbojet complies with stage 5 noise levels. 

3 (b) APPLICABILITY OF STAGE 5 NOISE STANDARDS

4 TO ALL CIVIL TURBOJETS.—On and after December 31, 

5 2020, the Secretary may not issue a type certificate for 

6 any civil turbojet unless the person applying for the type 

7 certificate demonstrates that the civil turbojet complies 

8 with stage 5 noise levels. 

Æ 


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