(1) establish a single system of measuring rail-
way noise that— 
(A) has a highly reliable relationship be-
tween projected railway noise exposure and sur-
veyed reactions of individuals to noise; and 
(B) is applied uniformly in measuring rail-
way noise near urbanized areas; 
(2) establish a single system for determining 
the exposure of individuals to railway noise in ur-
banized areas, including noise intensity, duration, 
frequency, and time of occurrence; and 
(3) based on the findings of the report required 
under section 3, determine minimum standards for 
railway noise levels on the property of a school lo-
cated in an urbanized area. 
SEC. 5. NOISE EXPOSURE MAPS. 
(a) SUBMISSION AND PREPARATION.—Not later than 
12 months after the date of issuance of regulations under 
section 4, each rail operator shall submit to the Secretary 
of Transportation a noise exposure map showing any areas 
of nonconforming railway noise levels (based on the stand-
ards developed under section 4) that— 
(1) adversely impact a school located in an ur-
banized area; and 
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(2) are caused by operations of the rail oper-
ator. 
(b) REVISED MAPS.—If a change in the rail oper-
ations of rail operator described in subsection (a) estab-
lishes a substantial new nonconforming noise level on the 
property of a school located in an urbanized area, or sig-
nificantly reduces nonconforming noise levels on the prop-
erty of such a school, that is not reflected in the noise 
exposure map, the rail operator shall submit a revised 
noise exposure map to the Secretary showing the new non-
conforming noise levels or noise level reduction. 
SEC. 6. NOISE COMPATIBILITY PROGRAMS. 
(a) PROGRAM SUBMISSION.—A rail operator that 
submitted a noise exposure map under section 5 may sub-
mit a noise compatibility program to the Secretary of 
Transportation after— 
(1) consulting with public agencies and plan-
ning authorities in the area covered by the map; and 
(2) notice and an opportunity for a public hear-
ing. 
(b) CONTENTS OF PROGRAM.—A program submitted 
under subsection (a) shall state the measures the rail oper-
ator has taken or proposes to take to reduce existing non-
conforming noise levels on the property of a school and 
prevent creating additional nonconforming noise levels in 
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the area covered by the map. The measures may include 
constructing barriers or acoustical shielding and sound-
proofing of schools subject to a nonconforming noise level. 
(c) APPROVALS.—The Secretary shall approve or dis-
approve a program submitted under subsection (a) of this 
section not later than 180 days after receiving it. The Sec-
retary shall approve the program if the program— 
(1) is reasonably consistent with achieving the 
goal of reducing nonconforming noise levels on the 
property of a school and preventing the introduction 
of additional nonconforming noise levels on the prop-
erty of a school; and 
(2) provides for necessary revisions because of 
a revised map submitted under section 5. 
(d) GRANTS.—The Secretary may incur obligations 
to make grants from amounts available under section 8 
to carry out a project under a part of a noise compatibility 
program approved under subsection (c). A grant may be 
made to a rail operator submitting the program to carry 
out the program directly or in cooperation with— 
(1) a local educational agency of a school that 
is subject to nonconforming noise levels; or 
(2) a unit of local government in the area sur-
rounding the school that has nonconforming noise 
levels. 
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(e) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of a 
project for which a grant is made under subsection (d) 
is 80 percent of the cost of the project. 
SEC. 7. NONADMISSIBILITY OF NOISE EXPOSURE MAP AND 
RELATED INFORMATION AS EVIDENCE. 
No part of a noise exposure map or related informa-
tion described in section 5 that is submitted to, or pre-
pared by, the Secretary of Transportation and no part of 
a list of land uses the Secretary identifies as normally 
compatible with various exposures of individuals to noise 
may be admitted into evidence or used for any other pur-
pose in a civil action asking for relief for noise resulting 
from the operation of a fixed rail public transportation fa-
cility. 
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated from the 
Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund under 
section 5338 of title 49, United States Code, such funds 
as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 
Æ 
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