H.R. 5151 — Quiet Communities Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings concerning the prevalence of noise-induced hearing impairment (affecting approximately 28 million individuals, with 10 million cases at least partially attributable to noise exposure), the health and economic impacts of excessive noise from sources such as aircraft and vehicular traffic, and the defunding of the EPA's Office of Noise Abatement and Control since 1982 under the Noise Control Act of 1972.

This section reestablishes within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Office of Noise Abatement and Control. (As background, the office was created under the Noise Control Act of 1972 to oversee federal noise regulation and abatement efforts, including identification of major noise sources and support for state and local programs, but ceased operations after Congress declined to appropriate funds following FY1981.) The Office must (1) promote effective state and local noise control programs through technical assistance and grants, including for equipment purchases; (2) conduct national noise control research on health impacts from varied noise sources; (3) perform national noise environmental assessments of exposure trends, ambient levels, compliance, and abatement effectiveness around major transportation facilities (e.g., highways, railroads, airports); (4) develop and disseminate public information and educational materials on noise effects and control; (5) create training materials and programs, including workshops, for state and local programs; (6) establish regional technical assistance centers using institutions of higher education and private organizations; and (7) assess the effectiveness of the Noise Control Act of 1972. In fulfilling these duties, the Office must prioritize local and state activities, market incentives, and coordination with other agencies. This section further directs the EPA Administrator to contract with independent experts for a study of aircraft noise measurement methodologies, health impact thresholds, and abatement program effectiveness—with a report including mitigation recommendations due to Congress not later than two years after enactment—and repeals the Noise Pollution and Abatement Act of 1970 (title II of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970).

This section revises EPA Administrator duties for noise control under the Noise Control Act of 1972 by restructuring subsections (a)-(g) as paragraphs (1)-(7), striking "but not limited to" language to make enumerated research areas under former subsection (b) (now paragraph (2)) and Quiet Communities Program activities under former subsection (c) (now paragraph (3)) exhaustive rather than illustrative, and updating noise control technology research to products regulated under section 6 or 8 of the Act or 49 U.S.C. 44715 (from sections 6, 7, and 8 of the Act). It further limits the Quiet Communities Program—which provides grants to states, local governments, and regional planning agencies to identify noise problems, build program capacity (including equipment purchases), and develop abatement plans around major transportation facilities (e.g., airports, highways, rail yards) and stationary sources—to activities consistent with federal authority over noise sources in interstate commerce and adds to eligible grant purposes (1) establishing and implementing training programs on noise abatement equipment and (2) implementing noise abatement plans.