The bill directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to study whether to create a grant program to help communities reduce noise from Department of Defense space launches. The study must be completed within one year of enactment. It must estimate possible program funding, identify eligible facilities and communities, and recommend geographic eligibility, noise-reduction methods, and community outreach. The bill does not create the grant program.
Hospitals, daycares, schools, senior facilities, and private homes built before January 1, 2026, could be counted in the study if they are not federally owned. A community would qualify for consideration if the Secretary of the Air Force determines that Department of Defense launch noise negatively affects it. The bill does not provide grants directly.
The bill does not specify a funding amount. The study must estimate the funds that a potential grant program would need and the costs of recommended noise-reduction methods.
Congress states that space launches support national security and access to space, and that more launches can disrupt nearby communities. The bill calls for studying ways to reduce noise effects and improve community outreach.
No publicly available information.