Sec. 483. Aviation and airport community engagement
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Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall establish an airport community of interest task force (in this section referred to as the Task Force ) to evaluate and improve existing processes and mechanisms for engaging communities impacted by airport development and aviation operations. The Task Force shall— review research on aircraft noise impacts to identify potential actions the Administrator could take; review processes and practices of the Administration for engaging communities prior to or after air traffic pattern changes that impact such communities, including with how such processes and practices compare to best practices from organizations with expertise in grassroots community organizing and collaboration; assess Federal efforts to mitigate noise impacts on communities, including costs and benefits of such efforts; assess the various actions that State and local government officials and community planners could take when considering changes to airport infrastructure, including planned airport projects or surrounding airport community developments; identify potential improvements to Federal, State, and local airport development policy and planning processes to better balance which communities experience negative externalities as a result of airport operations; consider guidance to airports and airport communities to improve engagement with the Administration, as recommended by the document titled Aircraft Noise:
FAA Could Improve Outreach Through Enhanced Noise Metrics, Communication, and Support to Communities , issued in September 2021 (GAO–21–103933); consider mechanisms and opportunities for the Administration to facilitate better exchange of helicopter noise information with operators in communities adversely impacted by helicopter noise, as recommended by the Comptroller General in the document titled Aircraft Noise: Better Information Sharing Could Improve Responses to Washington, D.C.
Area Helicopter Noise Concerns (GAO–21–200); and review air traffic controller guidance on use and development of noise abatement procedures of the Administration to identify areas for improvement or efficiency that do not adversely impact aviation safety. The Administrator shall appoint the members of the Task Force. The Task Force shall be chaired by the Administrator’s executive level designee. The Task Force shall be comprised of representatives from— airport communities or a representative organization of an airport community; airport operators; airlines; experts with specific knowledge of air traffic planning; aircraft manufacturers; local government officials; and such other representatives as the Administrator considers appropriate.
Members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation. Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the Task Force established under this section. The Task Force shall, as appropriate, consult with relevant experts and stakeholders not listed in paragraph (3)(C) in conducting the activities described in paragraph (2). Not later than 1 year after the date of the establishment of the Task Force and every year thereafter through fiscal year 2028, the Task Force shall provide to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Administrator recommendations to improve the processes and mechanisms for engaging communities impacted by airport development and aviation operations.
Not later than 60 days after the submission of the annual recommendations under subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall brief the committees described in such subparagraph on any plans of the Administration to implement the recommendations of the Task Force, including explanations for each of the recommendations the Administrator does not intend to adopt. The Administrator shall seek to convene at least 1 annual event in each geographic region of the Administration to engage with aviation communities on issues of regional import.
The purpose of the engagement events described under paragraph
(1)shall be to foster open and transparent communication between the Federal Government and aviation-impacted communities prior to, during, and after decision making at the Federal level. The topics of consideration of such engagement events shall be approved by the Regional Administrator or the Regional Community Engagement Officer of the applicable region, in consultation with regional interest groups. Topic areas shall be driven by local and regional feedback and may focus on— noise concerns from low-flying commercial aircraft; purchase and installation of aircraft noise reduction measures; new development projects in close proximity to airports and realistic noise expectations for such projects; proposed airport expansion projects and the potential noise implications of such projects; the establishment of new, or changes to existing, approach and departure routes and the community impacts of such changes; upcoming events with an aviation component; or any other topic or issue considered relevant by an aviation-impacted community. All events described in paragraph
(3)shall be convened by or in coordination with the regional offices of the Administration. The Administrator shall ensure representatives from relevant program offices of the Administration are in attendance at such events. The Administrator shall collaborate with community groups at the State, municipal, city, or local government level to ensure appropriate participation by as many relevant parties on a given issue as practicable. Such relevant parties may include— State or local government officials; local or municipal planning and zoning officials; neighborhood representatives; aircraft operators, flight school representatives, or other local aviation entities; airport operators; and any other parties as appropriate. The Administrator shall coordinate Federal participation that is not under the Administration through the Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise to encourage appropriate Federal representation at all such events, based on the topic areas of consideration.