[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2499 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2499

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 13, 1999

Mr. Weiner (for himself, Mr. Hyde, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Shays, Ms. Rivers, 
 Mrs. Morella, Mr. Stark, Mr. King, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Udall of Colorado, 
 Mr. Serrano, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Markey, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. 
   Pallone, Mr. Larson, Mr. Hall of Ohio, Ms. Lee, and Mr. Capuano) 
 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.

    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 ``Silent Skies Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) aircraft and airport noise is one of the most common 
        ``quality of life'' nuisance issues in neighborhoods throughout 
        the United States; and
            (2) European countries are already moving toward aircraft 
        that comply with stage 4 aircraft noise levels.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON OPERATING CERTAIN AIRCRAFT NOT COMPLYING WITH 
              STAGE 4 NOISE LEVELS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 475 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 47529 through 47533 as 
        sections 47530 through 47534, respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after section 47528 the following:
``Sec. 47529. Limitation on operating certain aircraft not complying 
              with stage 4 noise levels
    ``(a) Regulations.--Not later than December 3, 2001, the Secretary 
of Transportation, in consultation with the International Civil 
Aviation Organization, shall issue regulations to establish minimum 
standards for civil turbojets to comply with stage 4 noise levels.
    ``(b) General Rule.--The Secretary shall issue regulations to 
ensure that, except as provided in section 47530--
            ``(1) 50 percent of the civil turbojets with a maximum 
        weight of more than 75,000 pounds operating after December 31, 
        2006, to or from airports in the United States comply with the 
        stage 4 noise levels established under subsection (a); and
            ``(2) 100 percent of such turbojets operating after 
        December 31, 2011, to or from airports in the United States 
        comply with the stage 4 noise levels.
    ``(c) Priority for High Density Airports.--The Secretary shall 
issue regulations to ensure that air carriers, in purchasing and using 
civil turbojets that comply with stage 4 noise levels, give priority to 
using such turbojets to provide air transportation to or from high 
density airports (as such term is defined under section 41714 on 
January 1, 1999).
    ``(d) Annual Report.--Beginning with calendar year 2002--
            ``(1) each air carrier shall submit to the Secretary an 
        annual report on the progress the carrier is making toward 
        complying with the requirements of this section and regulations 
        issued to carry out this section; and
            ``(2) the Secretary shall submit to Congress an annual 
        report on the progress being made toward that compliance.''.
    (b) Chapter Analysis Amendment.--The analysis for such chapter is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating the items relating to sections 47529 
        through 47533 as sections 47530 through 47534, respectively; 
        and
            (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 47528 
        the following:

``47529. Limitation on operating certain aircraft not complying with 
                            stage 4 noise levels.''.
    (c) Nonaddition Rule.--Section 47530 of such title (as redesignated 
by subsection (a)(2) of this section) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``subsonic'';
                    (B) by striking ``November 4, 1990'' and inserting 
                ``December 31, 2004'';
                    (C) by striking ``stage 3'' and inserting ``stage 
                4''; and
                    (D) by striking ``November 5, 1990'' and inserting 
                ``January 1, 2005'';
            (2) in subsection (b) by striking ``stage 3'' and inserting 
        ``stage 4''; and
            (3) in subsection (c)(1) by striking ``November 5, 1990'' 
        and inserting ``January 1, 2005''
    (d) Conforming Amendments.--Such chapter is further amended--
            (1) in the chapter analysis--
                    (A) by striking ``and 47529'' in the item relating 
                to section 47531 (as redesignated by subsection (b)(1) 
                of this section) and inserting ``, 47529, and 47530''; 
                and
                    (B) by striking ``47530'' in the item relating to 
                section 47532 (as redesignated by subsection (b)(1) of 
                this section) and inserting ``47531'';
            (2) in the heading for section 47531 (as redesignated by 
        subsection (a)(1) of this section) by striking ``and 47529'' 
        and inserting ``, 47529, and 47530'';
            (3) in section 47531 (as redesignated by subsection (a)(1) 
        of this section)--
                    (A) by striking ``and 47529'' and inserting ``, 
                47529, and 47530'';
                    (B) by striking ``subsonic''; and
                    (C) by striking ``November 4, 1990'' and inserting 
                ``December 31, 2004'';
            (4) in the heading for section 47532 (as redesignated by 
        subsection (a)(1) of this section) by striking ``47530'' and 
        inserting ``47531'';
            (5) in section 47532 (as redesignated by subsection (a)(1) 
        of this section) by striking ``or 47530'' and inserting ``, 
        47530, or 47531''; and
            (6) in section 47533 (as redesignated by subsection (a)(1) 
        of this section) by striking ``47531'' and inserting ``47532''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by section 3 shall take effect on the date of 
enactment of this Act; except the amendments made by subsections (c), 
(d)(3)(B), and (d)(3)(C) of section 3 shall take effect December 31, 
2004.
                                 <all>