Space Launch Noise Mitigation Study Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3804 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3804

     To direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 
  Sustainment to conduct a study on the feasibility of carrying out a 
grant program to assist communities affected by noise from space launch 
                activities of the Department of Defense.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 6, 2025

 Mr. Carbajal introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 
  Sustainment to conduct a study on the feasibility of carrying out a 
grant program to assist communities affected by noise from space launch 
                activities of the Department of Defense.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Space Launch Noise Mitigation Study 
Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the commercial space launch industry is a fundamental 
        part of United States national security and contributes greatly 
        to assured access to space;
            (2) United States national security benefits from a 
        competitive and diverse launch industry;
            (3) space services are critical to sectors including 
        transportation, communication, agriculture, financial services, 
        and others; and
            (4) as referenced in the report of the Committee on Armed 
        Services of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 8070 
        of the 118th Congress, the increase of launches as a result of 
        national security and commercial launches can be disruptive to 
        nearby communities.

SEC. 3. STUDY ON SPACE LAUNCH NOISE MITIGATION.

    (a) Study.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 
Sustainment shall complete a study on the feasibility of conducting a 
space launch noise mitigation grant program.
    (b) Matters Included.--The study under subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An estimate of funds necessary to carry out a space 
        launch noise mitigation grant program, including estimated 
        breakdowns for different covered facilities, and how many 
        covered facilities are in each eligible community.
            (2) Recommendations on the geographic range for which 
        communities shall be eligible.
            (3) Recommendations on noise mitigating techniques and 
        technologies for eligible communities, and the estimated cost 
        for each recommendation.
            (4) Recommendations for ways the Space Force can work 
        better with eligible communities to avoid noise disturbances.
            (5) Recommendations for a community outreach program to 
        educate eligible communities near launch ranges on the benefits 
        of space.
    (c) Considerations.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), 
the Under Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Commanders of 
Space Launch Delta 30 and Space Launch Delta 45, shall consider the 
following:
            (1) C-weighted single-event noise, including noise 
        generated by sonic booms, of 100 dB or greater.
            (2) A-weighted maximum sound level of 90 dB or greater.
            (3) C-weighted day night average sound level of 115 dB Peak 
        or greater.
            (4) PK 15.
            (5) A direct association between noise and its measured 
        effect on the geographic regions where sonic booms from space 
        activity can be heard.
            (6) A literature review of the research to date.
            (7) Structure responses to vibration from sound power 
        levels and overpressure.
            (8) Data from all Federal ranges with at least one or more 
        vertical space launches per year in 2024 and thereafter.
            (9) Sonic boom monitoring stations for a wide area in the 
        region surrounding the space launch range.
            (10) Any other metrics or indicators the Under Secretary 
        determines appropriate.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered facility'' means a hospital, daycare 
        facility, school, facility serving senior citizens, or a 
        single- or multi-unit private residence, that is--
                    (A) built before January 1, 2026; and
                    (B) not owned by the Federal Government.
            (2) The term ``eligible community'' means a unit of local 
        government serving a geographic region that the Secretary of 
        the Air Force determines to be negatively affected by noise 
        from space launch activities of the Department of Defense.
            (3) The term ``PK 15'' means the calculated peak noise 
        level, without frequency weighting, expected to be exceeded by 
        15 percent of all space launch activities of the Department of 
        Defense.
            (4) The term ``space launch noise mitigation grant 
        program'' means a potential grant program administered by the 
        Secretary of Defense under which eligible communities install 
        technologies to mitigate noise from the space launch activities 
        of the Department of Defense.
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