[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 123 (Thursday, July 17, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2939. Mrs. MURRAY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by her to the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:
SEC. ___. PILOT PROGRAM FOR SOUND INSULATION REPAIR AND
REPLACEMENT.
(a) Government Share.--Section 47109 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Special Rule for Sound Insulation Repair and
Replacement.--With respect to a project to carry out sound
insulation that is granted a waiver under section 47110(j),
the allowable project cost for such project shall be
calculated without consideration of any costs that were
previously paid by the Government.''.
(b) Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement
Projects.--Section 47110 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(j) Pilot Program for Sound Insulation Repair and
Replacements.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date
of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration shall establish a pilot
program at up to 4 large hub public-use airports for local
airport operators that have established a local program to
fund secondary noise using non-aeronautical revenue that
provides a one-time waiver of the requirement of subsection
(b)(4) for a qualifying airport as applied to projects to
carry out repair and replacement of sound insulation for a
residential building for which the airport previously
received Federal assistance or Federally authorized airport
assistance under this subchapter if--
``(A) the Secretary determines that the additional
assistance is justified due to the residence containing any
sound insulation treatment or other type of sound proofing
material previously installed under this subchapter that is
determined to be eligible pursuant to paragraph (2); and
``(B) the residence--
``(i) falls within the Day Night Level (DNL) of 65 to 75
decibel (dB) noise contours, according to the most recent
noise exposure map (as such term is defined in section 150.7
of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations) available as of the
date of enactment of this subsection;
``(ii) fell within such noise contours at the time the
initial sound insulation treatment was installed, but a
qualified noise auditor has determined that--
``(I) such sound insulation treatment caused physical
damage to the residence; or
``(II) the materials used for sound insulation treatment
were of low quality and have deteriorated, broken, or
otherwise no longer function as intended; and
``(iii) is shown through testing that current interior
noise levels exceed DNL 45 dB, and the new insulation would
have the ability to achieve a 5 dB noise reduction.
``(2) Eligibility determination.--To be eligible for a
waiver under this subsection for repair or replacement of
sound insulation treatment projects, an applicant shall--
``(A) ensure that the applicant and the property owner have
made a good faith effort to exhaust any amounts available
through warranties, insurance coverage, and legal remedies
for the sound insulation treatment previously installed on
the eligible residence;
``(B) verify the sound insulation treatment for which
Federal assistance was previously provided was installed
prior to the year 2002; and
``(C) demonstrate that a qualified noise auditor, based on
an inspection of the residence, determined that--
``(i) the sound insulation treatment for which Federal
assistance was previously provided has resulted in structural
deterioration that was not caused by failure of the property
owner to repair or adequately maintain the residential
building or through the negligence of the applicant or the
property owner; and
``(ii) the condition of the sound insulation treatment
described in clause (i) is not attributed to actions taken by
an owner or occupant of the residence.
``(3) Additional authority for surveys.--Notwithstanding
any other provision of law, the Secretary shall consider a
cost allowable under this subchapter for an airport to
conduct periodic surveys of properties in which repair and
replacement of sound insulation treatment was carried out as
described in paragraph (1) and for which the airport
previously received Federal assistance or Federally
authorized airport assistance under this subchapter. The
surveys shall be conducted only for those properties for
which the airport has identified a property owner who is
interested in having a survey be undertaken to assess the
current effectiveness of the sound insulation treatment. Such
surveys shall be carried out to identify any properties
described in the preceding sentence that are eligible for
funds under this subsection.''.
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