Sponsor
Adam Smith
Representative · D-WA
Representative · D-WA
The bill provides targeted federal funding and stronger accounting for repairs to federally funded airport soundproofing at a small number of large-hub airports—improving protection and oversight for some homeowners—while limiting eligibility and adding documentation requirements that may delay or block assistance for many others.
Homeowners near up to four large-hub airports can receive a one-time federal grant to repair or replace deteriorated federally funded airport soundproofing insulation, restoring indoor noise protection.
Local airport authorities can recover costs for owner-requested periodic surveys, helping ensure existing noise-mitigation treatments remain effective and protecting residents’ indoor noise levels.
Clarifies that allowable project costs must exclude prior federal payments, reducing the risk of double-counting and improving federal funding transparency and accountability.
Homeowners near most airports are excluded because assistance is limited to projects at only up to four large-hub airports, leaving many affected residents without federal help.
Homeowners must exhaust warranties, insurance, and legal remedies before receiving federal help, which can delay relief and may leave some repair costs uncovered.
Applicants must prove prior work was installed before 2002 and obtain auditor findings that deterioration was not caused by the owner, potentially disqualifying eligible residents and imposing extra testing/documentation costs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a one-time pilot allowing limited federal repair or replacement of previously federally funded airport sound insulation at up to four large-hub airports and excludes prior federal payments from allowable project cost.
Provides a one-time federal pilot program allowing limited additional federal assistance to repair or replace previously federally funded airport sound insulation at up to four large-hub airports and adjusts grant cost rules so prior federal payments are excluded from allowable project cost. Sets eligibility and testing rules for qualifying residences, requires the FAA to establish the pilot within 120 days, and permits airports to request periodic surveys to assess previously installed treatments.
Official title: To authorize the establishment of pilot programs for sound insulation repair and replacement.
Introduced July 14, 2025 by Adam Smith · Last progress July 14, 2025