Quiet Communities Act of 2025

Congress proposes bringing back the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Noise Abatement and Control to help communities reduce harmful noise from planes, highways, rail, and other sources. Lawmakers note that millions of Americans face hearing problems, sleep loss, stress, and other health issues linked to noise exposure. The renewed office would support state and local efforts with grants and technical help, do research, track noise trends, and share easy‑to‑use education and training. It would focus on local solutions and working with other agencies and groups. The bill also orders an independent study of aircraft noise and its health impacts, with a report to Congress in two years that includes clear recommendations to lessen the problem. It updates the Quiet Communities grant program so local governments can train people to use noise‑control equipment and put noise plans into action, and it provides $25 million per year from 2026 through 2030 to fund this work.

Key points

• Who is affected: People living near airports, highways, and rail lines; schools and families; and state and local governments seeking to reduce noise in their communities.
• What changes: EPA’s noise office is restored; grants and technical help for communities; national research and tracking; public education and training; and a required study on aircraft noise with recommendations .
• When: The aircraft‑noise report is due within two years of the law’s enactment, and funding is set at $25 million each year from 2026 to 2030 .