Negating Neighborhood Noise Act of 2026
- Sponsor
- Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]
- Committees
- Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (primary)
- Last action
- May 7, 2026
Bottom line
This bill expands federal funding options for highway noise barriers, particularly for older residential areas, and promotes their use for additional infrastructure, aiming to improve quality of life and infrastructure efficiency.
What it actually does
This bill amends the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 to expand the eligibility of federal Highway Trust Fund money for the construction or preservation of Type II noise barriers (those along existing highways) under specific conditions. It also makes these noise barriers eligible for Surface Transportation Block Grant funds and encourages the development of 'multipurpose noise barriers' that can host additional infrastructure like renewable energy or broadband.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue this bill addresses long-standing noise pollution issues in established communities, improves quality of life for residents, and promotes efficient use of public infrastructure by allowing noise barriers to serve multiple beneficial uses, such as supporting broadband or renewable energy deployment.
Opponents contend
Opponents might argue that expanding eligibility for Type II noise barriers could divert Highway Trust Fund resources from core transportation infrastructure projects, potentially increasing costs or delaying other critical improvements like road maintenance or bridge repair. Concerns could also be raised about the aesthetic impact or the potential for increased local project complexities.
The bill is short and relatively straightforward, allowing for quick comprehension by an informed reader.
Section 2
Permitting Use of Highway Trust Fund for Construction of Certain Noise Barriers
This section amends existing law to allow federal Highway Trust Fund money to be used for "Type II noise barriers" (those built along existing highways) under specific conditions. Previously, these funds were generally prohibited for such barriers unless they were part of a project approved before November 1995. The new exceptions include barriers not part of pre-1995 projects, those proposed along lands developed before the highway's right-of-way acquisition, or those separating highways from majority-residential structures at least 10 years old.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue this provision rectifies a historical funding imbalance, allowing established communities to address noise pollution from existing highways that predated or developed alongside their neighborhoods, thereby improving public health and welfare.
Critics contend
Critics might contend that expanding the use of the Highway Trust Fund for Type II noise barriers could strain resources intended for core transportation infrastructure projects like road maintenance and bridge repair, potentially diverting funds from projects with broader economic or safety benefits.
Tradeoffs
The bill balances the desire to mitigate noise pollution in residential areas with the need to allocate limited federal transportation funds efficiently across various infrastructure priorities, potentially shifting spending from other projects.
Section 3
Expanding Eligibility for Surface Transportation Block Grant Funds
This section amends Title 23, U.S. Code, to explicitly make the planning, design, preservation, or construction of Type II noise barriers (consistent with the new rules in Section 2) eligible for Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funds. This further broadens the funding avenues for these noise mitigation projects, providing states with more options.
Section 4
Encouraging Multipurpose Noise Barriers
This section directs the Secretary of Transportation to ensure that noise barriers constructed with federal funds may be "multipurpose noise barriers." It defines these as barriers that provide a secondary beneficial use, such as hosting renewable energy generation facilities, electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure, or broadband infrastructure and conduit. It also explicitly allows states to approve these secondary uses on federal-aid highway rights-of-way.
Section 5
Considering Aesthetics in Noise Barrier Design
This section mandates that project sponsors constructing or preserving noise barriers with federal funds must consider the aesthetics of the proposed barrier. This consideration must be consistent with the latest version of the Noise Barrier Design Handbook published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the Department of Transportation.
Exempts Type II noise barriers from the general prohibition on Highway Trust Fund use if they were *not* part of a project approved by the Secretary *before November 28, 1995*. This effectively reverses the previous restriction for most new projects.
Section 2(2)(A)
Why it matters:This is standard legislative practice to reference specific dates from prior legislation to define the scope and applicability of new amendments, ensuring legal precision.
Case for: This date is crucial for defining the scope of the new eligibility, ensuring that only projects initiated after the original 1995 act's restrictions are now eligible, rather than retroactively funding very old projects, which could be fiscally impractical.
Case against: No specific case against the date itself, but the overall expansion of funding eligibility that it enables could be debated by those concerned about the allocation of Highway Trust Fund resources.
Estimated impact: This specific date significantly expands the universe of projects eligible for federal funding for Type II noise barriers, enabling many communities to seek federal assistance for noise mitigation that was previously unavailable.
The bill relies on the definition of "Type II noise barrier" as found in "section 772.5 of title 23, Code of Federal Regulations." This definition specifies noise barriers constructed along existing highways where there was no federal-aid highway project to construct a new highway or substantially alter an existing one.
Section 2(1) and Section 3(25)
Why it matters:This is standard legislative practice to reference existing regulatory definitions to avoid redundancy in statutory text and to maintain consistency with established federal highway noise policy and terminology.
Case for: Using an existing CFR definition ensures consistency with established federal highway noise policy and avoids creating new, potentially conflicting definitions, streamlining implementation for agencies already familiar with these regulations.
Case against: Requires external research for a full understanding of the bill's scope, which can be a barrier for casual readers or those unfamiliar with federal transportation regulations, making the bill less immediately transparent.
Estimated impact: Clarifies the specific type of noise barrier that is the subject of the bill's funding changes, focusing on mitigation for existing highway noise rather than noise generated by new highway construction or major alterations.