I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9409 

To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct an audit and analysis of 

light pollution at certain Department of Defense facilities, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 23, 2024 

Ms. SHERRILL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct an audit 

and analysis of light pollution at certain Department 

of Defense facilities, 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 ‘‘DoD Dark Sky Stew5 ardship Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REDUCTION OF LIGHT POLLUTION AT DEPART7 MENT OF DEFENSE FACILITIES. 

8 (a) AUDIT.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months 

2 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and con3 currently with the study required under subsection 

4 (b), the Secretary of Defense shall complete an audit 

5 of light pollution at the facilities selected pursuant 

6 to paragraph (2). Under such audit, the Secretary 

7 shall— 

8 (A) evaluate the lighting used at such fa9 cilities, with a focus on unshielded lighting; 

10 (B) determine whether any lighting fix11 tures are unnecessary; 

12 (C) determine whether any areas— 

13 (i) are unnecessarily lit; or 

14 (ii) are overlit and are suitable for 

15 lower ambient light under United Facilities 

16 Criteria 3–530–01; 

17 (D) identify any lighting or design trends 

18 across such facilities that contribute to light 

19 pollution; and 

20 (E) include a plan for reducing unneces21 sary lighting, overlit areas, and other sources of 

22 light pollution at such facilities. 

23 (2) AUDITED FACILITIES.—The Secretary of 

24 Defense shall— 


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1 (A) select the Department of Defense fa2 cilities to be included in the audit under para3 graph (1); and 

4 (B) to the extent practicable, ensure that 

5 the group of such selected facilities is a rep6 resentative sample of Department of Defense 

7 facilities with respect to size, form, function, 

8 and geographic location. 

9 (3) PLAN DEADLINE.—Not later than 6 months 

10 after the audit required under paragraph (1) is com11 pleted, the Secretary of Defense shall implement the 

12 plan included in such audit. 

13 (b) STUDY.—Not later than 18 months after the date 

14 of the enactment of this Act, and concurrently with the 

15 audit required under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary of 

16 Defense shall conduct a study of light pollution at Depart17 ment of Defense facilities. In conducting the study, the 

18 Secretary shall— 

19 (1) examine how light pollution affects Depart20 ment of Defense operations and readiness; 

21 (2) examine how light pollution affects biodiver22 sity near Department of Defense facilities; 

23 (3) evaluate the effectiveness of compatible use 

24 buffer zones and other techniques already in use to 


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1 mitigate light pollution and its harmful effects at 

2 Department of Defense facilities; 

3 (4) evaluate the necessity and purpose of any 

4 unshielded lights at Department of Defense facili5 ties; 

6 (5) examine the use of additional light pollution 

7 mitigation technologies, processes, and policies to 

8 mitigate light pollution at Department of Defense 

9 facilities, including increasing the use of warm-light 

10 and low-output light-emitting diode lights and de11 creasing the use of cool-light and high-output light12 emitting diode lights; 

13 (6) examine the feasability of establishing dark 

14 sky standards for Department of Defense facilities; 

15 (7) identify and analyze Federal, State, and 

16 local rules, regulations, and policies that support or 

17 inhibit the ability of the Secretary of Defense to 

18 mitigate light pollution at Department of Defense 

19 facilities; and 

20 (8) evaluate ongoing and potential additional 

21 initiatives at Department of Defense facilities to reg22 ulate lighting standards, including how such initia23 tives could be expanded without compromising na24 tional security or the mission, safety, or security of 

25 any such facility. 


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1 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after the com2 pletion of the audit required under subsection (a)(1) and 

3 the study required under subsection (b), the Secretary of 

4 Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services 

5 of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Nat6 ural Resources of the House of Representatives, the Com7 mittee on Armed Services of the Senate, and the Com8 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 

9 a report, which shall include— 

10 (1) the results of the audit required under sub11 section (a)(1), including the methodology, findings, 

12 and recommendations of such audit; 

13 (2) the results of the study required under sub14 section (b), including unclassified examples of how 

15 light pollution affects Department of Defense oper16 ations and readiness; 

17 (3) identification of the funds, resources, and 

18 additional authorities required to execute any plans 

19 or recommendations developed pursuant to the study 

20 required under subsection (b); 

21 (4) recommendations for expanding or starting 

22 collaborative efforts with local communities that are 

23 located near Department of Defense facilities to 

24 limit light pollution; 


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1 (5) recommendations for protecting biodiversity 

2 near Department of Defense facilities from light pol3 lution without harming Department of Defense oper4 ations and readiness; and 

5 (6) recommendations on whether and, if appli6 cable, how the Department of Defense could create 

7 and implement dark sky standards for Department 

8 of Defense facilities. 

9 (d) PILOT PROJECTS.—The Secretary of Defense 

10 may establish pilot projects to reduce light pollution at De11 partment of Defense facilities based on the results of the 

12 study required under subsection (b). 

13 (e) DEPARTMENT SECURITY.—The Secretary of De14 fense shall ensure that the safety, security, and readiness 

15 of the Department of Defense is not negatively affected 

16 by— 

17 (1) the audit required under subsection (a)(1); 

18 (2) the implementation of the plan included in 

19 such audit; or 

20 (3) any pilot project established under sub21 section (d). 

22 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 (1) The term ‘‘dark sky standards’’ means a 

24 group of policies, guidelines, or requirements that— 

25 (A) reduce light pollution; 


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1 (B) limit artificial light to areas where 

2 such light is intended to be used; and 

3 (C) protect the natural darkness of an out4 door location. 

5 (2) The term ‘‘Department of Defense facility’’ 

6 means any structure, building, training area, or 

7 other infrastructure of a military installation, includ8 ing a roadway or defense access road, and any other 

9 area on the grounds of a military installation that 

10 is under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense 

11 or the Secretary of a military department. 

12 (3) The term ‘‘light pollution’’ means artificial 

13 light that emanates from buildings or other human14 made structures that— 

15 (A) expands onto adjacent properties and 

16 is unnecessary in regards to the purpose or use 

17 of such adjacent property; or 

18 (B) degrades the visibility of the sky at 

19 night. 

Æ 


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