H.R. 8717 — Negating Neighborhood Noise Act of 2026

This section permits the use of Highway Trust Fund amounts for construction or preservation of a Type II noise barrier (as defined in 23 C.F.R. 772.5) under section 109(h) and (i) of title 23, United States Code, if the barrier (1) was not part of a project approved by the Secretary before November 28, 1995, (2) is proposed along lands developed or under substantial construction before approval of the rights-of-way acquisition or construction of the existing highway, or (3) separates a highway or noise corridor from a group of structures of which the majority closest to the highway are residential and at least 10 years old as of the proposal date.

This section expands eligibility under the Surface Transportation Block Grant program (23 U.S.C. 133) to include planning, design, preservation, or construction of Type II noise barriers (as described in 23 CFR 772.5 and consistent with section 339(b) of the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995). It also extends the limitation in subsection (c)(2) to the new paragraph (25).

This section expands the permissible uses of noise barriers constructed or preserved under section 339(b) of the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 or with funds made available under title 23, United States Code, to include multipurpose noise barriers that provide a secondary beneficial use in addition to highway noise mitigation. It authorizes a State to approve accommodation of such a secondary use on a noise barrier within a Federal-aid highway right-of-way and defines multipurpose noise barriers to include those hosting or accommodating renewable energy generation facilities, electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure, or broadband infrastructure and conduit.

This section requires project sponsors constructing or preserving a noise barrier under section 339(b) of the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 or with funds made available under title 23, United States Code, to consider the aesthetics of the proposed noise barrier consistent with the latest version of the Noise Barrier Design Handbook published by the Federal Highway Administration of the Department of Transportation.