I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4178 
To reestablish the Office of Noise Abatement and Control in the 
Environmental Protection Agency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 15, 2023 
Ms. MENG (for herself, Mr. BEYER, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. 
CHU, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. 
LEE of California, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. NADLER, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, 
Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. SCHIFF, and Mr. SAR-
BANES) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reestablish the Office of Noise Abatement and Control 
in the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Quiet Communities 
Act of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) approximately 28,000,000 individuals in the 
United States are afflicted with some hearing im-
pairment, and it has been estimated that 10,000,000 
of those impairments are at least partially attrib-
utable to damage from exposure to noise; 
(2) for millions of individuals in the United 
States, noise from aircraft, vehicular traffic, and a 
variety of other sources is a constant source of tor-
ment; 
(3) millions of individuals in the United States 
are exposed to noise levels that can lead to sleep 
loss, psychological and physiological damage, and 
work disruption; 
(4) chronic exposure to noise has been linked to 
increased risk of cardiovascular disorders, learning 
deficits in children, stress, and diminished quality of 
life; 
(5) excessive noise leading to sleep deprivation 
and task interruptions can result in untold costs to 
society as a result of diminished worker productivity; 
(6) pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
7401 et seq.), the Noise Control Act of 1972 (42 
U.S.C. 4901 et seq.), and the Quiet Communities 
Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 4901 note; Public Law 95– 
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609; 92 Stat. 3079), the Environmental Protection 
Agency established and maintained an Office of 
Noise Abatement and Control, which has not re-
ceived funding since 1982; 
(7) responsibilities of the Office of Noise Abate-
ment and Control included promulgating noise emis-
sion standards, requiring product labeling, facili-
tating the development of low-noise-emission prod-
ucts, coordinating Federal noise reduction programs, 
assisting State and local noise abatement efforts, 
and promoting noise education and research; 
(8) because the Environmental Protection 
Agency remains legally responsible for enforcing reg-
ulations issued under the Noise Control Act of 1972 
(42 U.S.C. 4901 et seq.), even though funding for 
the activities of the Office of Noise Abatement and 
Control described in paragraph (7) was terminated, 
and because that Act prohibits State and local gov-
ernments from regulating noise sources in many sit-
uations, noise abatement programs across the 
United States lie dormant; and 
(9) as population growth and air and vehicular 
traffic continue to increase, noise pollution is likely 
to become an even greater problem in the future, 
and the health and welfare of individuals in the 
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United States demands that the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency, the lead Federal agency for the pro-
tection of public health and welfare, once again as-
sume a role in combating noise pollution. 
SEC. 3. REESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF NOISE ABATE-
MENT AND CONTROL. 
(a) REESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency (referred to in this sec-
tion as the ‘‘Administrator’’) shall reestablish within the 
Environmental Protection Agency an Office of Noise 
Abatement and Control (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Office’’). 
(b) DUTIES.—The responsibilities of the Office shall 
include— 
(1) promoting the development of effective 
State and local noise control programs by providing 
States with technical assistance and grants to de-
velop those programs, including the purchasing of 
equipment for local communities; 
(2) carrying out a national noise control re-
search program to assess the impacts of noise from 
varied noise sources on mental and physical health; 
(3) carrying out a national noise environmental 
assessment program— 
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(A) to identify trends in noise exposure 
and response, ambient levels, and compliance 
data; and 
(B) to determine the effectiveness of noise 
abatement actions, including actions for areas 
around major transportation facilities (such as 
highways, railroad facilities, and airports); 
(4) developing and disseminating to the public 
information and educational materials relating to the 
mental and physical effects of noise and the most ef-
fective means for noise control through the use of 
materials for school curricula, volunteer organiza-
tions, radio and television programs, publications, 
and other means; 
(5) developing educational and training mate-
rials and programs, including national and regional 
workshops, to support State and local noise abate-
ment and control programs; 
(6) establishing regional technical assistance 
centers to use the capabilities of institutions of high-
er education and private organizations to assist 
State and local noise control programs; and 
(7) undertaking an assessment of the effective-
ness of the Noise Control Act of 1972 (42 U.S.C. 
4901 et seq.). 
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(c) PREFERRED APPROACHES.—In carrying out the 
duties of the Office under subsection (b), the Office shall 
emphasize noise abatement approaches that rely on local 
and State activities, market incentives, and coordination 
with other public and private agencies. 
(d) STUDY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
carry out a study of aircraft noise and the effects of 
that noise on surrounding communities. 
(2) CONTRACTS
AND
OTHER
AGREEMENTS.— 
The Administrator shall enter into contracts or 
other agreements with independent scientists with 
expertise in noise measurements, noise effects, and 
noise abatement techniques to conduct the study 
under paragraph (1). 
(3) CONTENTS.—The study under paragraph 
(1) shall examine— 
(A) the selection of noise measurement 
methodologies by the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration; 
(B) the threshold of aircraft noise at which 
health impacts are felt; and 
(C) the effectiveness of aircraft noise 
abatement programs at airports around the 
United States. 
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(4) REPORT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Ad-
ministrator shall submit to Congress a report 
on the results of the study conducted under 
paragraph (1). 
(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The report sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A) shall include 
specific recommendations on new measures that 
can be implemented to mitigate the impact of 
aircraft noise on surrounding communities. 
(e) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The Noise Pollu-
tion and Abatement Act of 1970 (Public Law 91–604; 84 
Stat. 1709) is repealed. 
SEC. 4. GRANTS UNDER QUIET COMMUNITIES PROGRAM. 
Section 14 of the Noise Control Act of 1972 (42 
U.S.C. 4913) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) 
by striking ‘‘but not limited to’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘sections 
6, 7, and 8 of this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
6 or 8 of this Act, or section 44715 of title 49, 
United States Code’’; and 
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(C) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(1) 
through (5) as subparagraphs (A) through (E), 
respectively, and indenting appropriately; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) 
by striking ‘‘but not be limited to’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘in accordance with the Federal authority 
pursuant to this Act to regulate sources of 
noise in interstate commerce’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (C) by striking 
‘‘and,’’ at the end; 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(A) through (D) as clauses (i) through 
(iv), respectively, and indenting appro-
priately; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(v) establishing and implementing 
training programs on use of noise abate-
ment equipment; and 
‘‘(vi) implementing noise abatement 
plans;’’; 
(C) by striking the undesignated matter 
following paragraph (5); and 
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(D) by redesignating paragraphs (1) 
through (5) as subparagraphs (A) through (E), 
respectively, and indenting appropriately; and 
(3) by redesignating subsections (a) through (g) 
as paragraphs (1) through (7), respectively, and in-
denting appropriately. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated for the Office 
of Noise Abatement and Control reestablished under sec-
tion 3(a) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 
through 2028. 
Æ 
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