[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 129 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 129

   To amend title 49, United States Code, to exempt noise and access 
 restrictions on aircraft operations to and from metropolitan airports 
 from certain Federal review and approval requirements, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 1999

  Mr. Engel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 49, United States Code, to exempt noise and access 
 restrictions on aircraft operations to and from metropolitan airports 
 from certain Federal review and approval requirements, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Metropolitan Airport Noise Reduction 
Act''.

SEC. 2. NONMETROPOLITAN AIRPORT DEFINED.

    Section 47522 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3) and by inserting after 
paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) `nonmetropolitan airport' means an airport serving an 
        area with a population of less than 1,000,000 individuals.''.

SEC. 3. REVIEW OF AIRPORT NOISE AND ACCESS RESTRICTIONS.

    Section 47524 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a) by inserting ``to and from 
        nonmetropolitan airports'' after ``stage 3 aircraft'';
            (2) in subsection (b) by inserting ``to or from a 
        nonmetropolitan airport'' after ``stage 2 aircraft'';
            (3) in subsection (c)(1) by inserting ``to or from a 
        nonmetropolitan airport'' after ``operation of stage 3 
        aircraft'';
            (4) in subsection (c)(2) by inserting ``to or from a 
        nonmetropolitan airport'' after ``stage 3 aircraft''; and
            (5) in subsection (e) by striking ``facility'' and 
        inserting ``nonmetropolitan airport''.

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR APPLICATIONS TO WAIVE STAGE 3 NOISE 
              LEVELS FOR CERTAIN AIRCRAFT.

    The second sentence of section 47528(b) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after ``1999,'' the following: ``must 
contain assurances that operations of aircraft which do not comply with 
stage 3 noise levels will not be concentrated at one or more airports 
if the waiver is granted,''.

SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON ROLLBACK OF AIRCRAFT RESTRICTIONS.

    (a) General.--Subchapter II of chapter 475 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 47534. Prohibition on rollback of aircraft restrictions
    ``(a) General Rule.--No airport noise or access restriction on the 
operation of stage 2 or stage 3 aircraft to or from a metropolitan or 
nonmetropolitan airport in effect on November 5, 1990, may be modified, 
superseded, or repealed so as to make such restriction less stringent. 
This subsection shall apply to any action taken on, before, or after 
the date of the enactment of this section.
    ``(b) Notification.--The Secretary shall promptly notify the 
sponsor of any facility operating under airport noise or access 
restrictions in violation of subsection (a) of such violation and 
recommend actions necessary for compliance with subsection (a).
    ``(c) Ineligibility for PFC's and AIP Funds.--After the 90th day 
following the date on which the sponsor of a facility receives pursuant 
to subsection (b) notice of a violation of subsection (a), such sponsor 
shall not be eligible to receive a grant under section 47104 of this 
title or to impose a passenger facility fee under section 40117 of this 
title until such date as the Secretary determines that the facility is 
operating under airport noise and access restrictions in compliance 
with subsection (a).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The analysis to chapter 475 is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 47533 the following:

``47534. Prohibition on rollback of aircraft restrictions.''.
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