[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 456 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 456

To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 prescribe regulations to reduce helicopter noise pollution in certain 
               residential areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 4, 2013

 Mr. Schiff (for himself, Mr. Sherman, and Mr. Waxman) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 prescribe regulations to reduce helicopter noise pollution in certain 
               residential areas, 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 ``Los Angeles Residential Helicopter 
Noise Relief Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Residents across Los Angeles County suffer intrusive 
        and disruptive low-flying helicopter traffic above their 
        neighborhoods.
            (2) Los Angeles County is home to a unique and excessively 
        large concentration of scenic, historic, entertainment, and 
        transportation venues, including sight-seeing, movie studios, 
        movie star homes, outdoor entertainment facilities, Griffith 
        Park, the Hollywood Sign, freeways, and many others, that 
        generate extensive helicopter activity.
            (3) Los Angeles County is home to the world's leading civil 
        helicopter manufacturer that conducts extensive helicopter 
        operational testing in the region.
            (4) The unique terrain of canyons and valleys surrounding 
        residential neighborhoods in Los Angeles County often 
        concentrates high decibel level noise from the low-flying 
        helicopters in and around residences in Los Angeles County.
            (5) The concentrated noise interrupts daily life for many 
        Los Angeles County residents by drowning out conversations and 
        disrupting sleep cycles.
            (6) Despite multiple efforts from several community and 
        homeowner organizations in Los Angeles County to address these 
        disturbances, helicopter traffic in Los Angeles County is not 
        currently regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration or 
        any other agency.
            (7) At the request of members of Congress, the Federal 
        Aviation Administration formed an internal working group in 
        July 2012 to solicit input from local communities and 
        stakeholders on helicopter noise and safety issues in Los 
        Angeles County.
            (8) As part of that process, several public meetings were 
        held in the fall and summer of 2012 that have allowed the 
        Federal Aviation Administration and stakeholders to hear and 
        better understand the concerns and complaints of affected 
        residents.
            (9) The Federal Aviation Administration is scheduled to 
        release a report in May 2013 evaluating a full set of voluntary 
        and regulatory options to reduce helicopter noise and address 
        safety issues in Los Angeles County.
            (10) The report should explore how helicopters can be 
        regulated in Los Angeles County in a manner that provides 
        relief to residents from helicopter noise while also meeting 
        the needs of relevant stakeholders, including first responders.

SEC. 3. REGULATIONS TO REDUCE HELICOPTER NOISE POLLUTION IN CERTAIN 
              RESIDENTIAL AREAS.

    (a) Regulations Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall prescribe regulations for helicopter operations in 
Los Angeles County, California, that include requirements relating to 
the flight paths and altitudes associated with such operations to 
reduce helicopter noise pollution in residential areas, increase 
safety, and minimize scheduled commercial aircraft delays.
    (b) Exemptions.--In prescribing regulations under subsection (a), 
the Administrator shall exempt helicopter operations related to 
emergency, law enforcement, or military activities from the 
requirements described in that subsection.
    (c) Consultations.--In prescribing regulations under subsection 
(a), the Administrator shall make reasonable efforts to consult with 
local communities and local helicopter operators in order to develop 
regulations that meet the needs of local communities, helicopter 
operators, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
                                 <all>