[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9409 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9409

To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct an audit and analysis of 
 light pollution at certain Department of Defense facilities, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 23, 2024

 Ms. Sherrill introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct an audit and analysis of 
 light pollution at certain Department of Defense facilities, 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 ``DoD Dark Sky Stewardship Act''.

SEC. 2. REDUCTION OF LIGHT POLLUTION AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
              FACILITIES.

    (a) Audit.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and concurrently with the study 
        required under subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense shall 
        complete an audit of light pollution at the facilities selected 
        pursuant to paragraph (2). Under such audit, the Secretary 
        shall--
                    (A) evaluate the lighting used at such facilities, 
                with a focus on unshielded lighting;
                    (B) determine whether any lighting fixtures are 
                unnecessary;
                    (C) determine whether any areas--
                            (i) are unnecessarily lit; or
                            (ii) are overlit and are suitable for lower 
                        ambient light under United Facilities Criteria 
                        3-530-01;
                    (D) identify any lighting or design trends across 
                such facilities that contribute to light pollution; and
                    (E) include a plan for reducing unnecessary 
                lighting, overlit areas, and other sources of light 
                pollution at such facilities.
            (2) Audited facilities.--The Secretary of Defense shall--
                    (A) select the Department of Defense facilities to 
                be included in the audit under paragraph (1); and
                    (B) to the extent practicable, ensure that the 
                group of such selected facilities is a representative 
                sample of Department of Defense facilities with respect 
                to size, form, function, and geographic location.
            (3) Plan deadline.--Not later than 6 months after the audit 
        required under paragraph (1) is completed, the Secretary of 
        Defense shall implement the plan included in such audit.
    (b) Study.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and concurrently with the audit required under 
subsection (a)(1), the Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study of 
light pollution at Department of Defense facilities. In conducting the 
study, the Secretary shall--
            (1) examine how light pollution affects Department of 
        Defense operations and readiness;
            (2) examine how light pollution affects biodiversity near 
        Department of Defense facilities;
            (3) evaluate the effectiveness of compatible use buffer 
        zones and other techniques already in use to mitigate light 
        pollution and its harmful effects at Department of Defense 
        facilities;
            (4) evaluate the necessity and purpose of any unshielded 
        lights at Department of Defense facilities;
            (5) examine the use of additional light pollution 
        mitigation technologies, processes, and policies to mitigate 
        light pollution at Department of Defense facilities, including 
        increasing the use of warm-light and low-output light-emitting 
        diode lights and decreasing the use of cool-light and high-
        output light-emitting diode lights;
            (6) examine the feasability of establishing dark sky 
        standards for Department of Defense facilities;
            (7) identify and analyze Federal, State, and local rules, 
        regulations, and policies that support or inhibit the ability 
        of the Secretary of Defense to mitigate light pollution at 
        Department of Defense facilities; and
            (8) evaluate ongoing and potential additional initiatives 
        at Department of Defense facilities to regulate lighting 
        standards, including how such initiatives could be expanded 
        without compromising national security or the mission, safety, 
        or security of any such facility.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the completion of the 
audit required under subsection (a)(1) and the study required under 
subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee 
on Armed Services of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 
Armed Services of the Senate, and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate a report, which shall include--
            (1) the results of the audit required under subsection 
        (a)(1), including the methodology, findings, and 
        recommendations of such audit;
            (2) the results of the study required under subsection (b), 
        including unclassified examples of how light pollution affects 
        Department of Defense operations and readiness;
            (3) identification of the funds, resources, and additional 
        authorities required to execute any plans or recommendations 
        developed pursuant to the study required under subsection (b);
            (4) recommendations for expanding or starting collaborative 
        efforts with local communities that are located near Department 
        of Defense facilities to limit light pollution;
            (5) recommendations for protecting biodiversity near 
        Department of Defense facilities from light pollution without 
        harming Department of Defense operations and readiness; and
            (6) recommendations on whether and, if applicable, how the 
        Department of Defense could create and implement dark sky 
        standards for Department of Defense facilities.
    (d) Pilot Projects.--The Secretary of Defense may establish pilot 
projects to reduce light pollution at Department of Defense facilities 
based on the results of the study required under subsection (b).
    (e) Department Security.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure 
that the safety, security, and readiness of the Department of Defense 
is not negatively affected by--
            (1) the audit required under subsection (a)(1);
            (2) the implementation of the plan included in such audit; 
        or
            (3) any pilot project established under subsection (d).
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``dark sky standards'' means a group of 
        policies, guidelines, or requirements that--
                    (A) reduce light pollution;
                    (B) limit artificial light to areas where such 
                light is intended to be used; and
                    (C) protect the natural darkness of an outdoor 
                location.
            (2) The term ``Department of Defense facility'' means any 
        structure, building, training area, or other infrastructure of 
        a military installation, including a roadway or defense access 
        road, and any other area on the grounds of a military 
        installation that is under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of 
        Defense or the Secretary of a military department.
            (3) The term ``light pollution'' means artificial light 
        that emanates from buildings or other human-made structures 
        that--
                    (A) expands onto adjacent properties and is 
                unnecessary in regards to the purpose or use of such 
                adjacent property; or
                    (B) degrades the visibility of the sky at night.
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