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Negating Neighborhood Noise Act of 2026
To amend the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 to permit the construction of certain noise barriers with funds from the Highway Trust Fund, and for other purposes.
Summary
The Negating Neighborhood Noise Act of 2026 amends federal law to permit the use of Highway Trust Fund money for certain Type II noise barriers along highways, reversing a prior prohibition. The bill allows Highway Trust Fund use for Type II noise barriers in limited circumstances, including barriers built along land that was developed before the highway, or barriers that primarily separate highways from residential structures that are at least 10 years old. The bill also makes Type II noise barriers eligible for Surface Transportation Block Grant funds and permits constructing multipurpose noise barriers that provide secondary benefits such as hosting renewable energy, electrical transmission, or broadband infrastructure. Project sponsors must consider the aesthetics of noise barriers using guidance from the Federal Highway Administration.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
3 cosponsors
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Nikema Williams’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- RADCO $6,600
- PERENNIAL PROPERTIES $6,600
- GOLDMAN SACHS $6,600
- CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS $6,500
- NULL $6,300
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Nikema Williams → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- May 7, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. · house
- May 7, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 7, 2026
Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself, Mr. Himes, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Casten) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To amend the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 to permit the construction of certain noise barriers with funds from the Highway Trust Fund, and for other purposes.
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 “Negating Neighborhood Noise Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. PERMITTING USE OF HIGHWAY TRUST FUND FOR CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN NOISE BARRIERS.
Section 339(b) of the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 (23 U.S.C. 109 note) is amended to read as follows:
“(1) General rule.—No funds made available out of the Highway Trust Fund may be used to construct a Type II noise barrier (as defined by section 772.5 of title 23, Code of Federal Regulations) pursuant to subsections (h) and (i) of section 109 of title 23, United States Code.
“(2) Exceptions.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply to construction or preservation of a Type II noise barrier if such a barrier—
“(A) was not part of a project approved by the Secretary before November 28, 1995;
“(B) is proposed along lands that were developed or were under substantial construction before approval of the acquisition of the rights-of-ways for, or construction of, the existing highway; or
“(C) as determined and applied by the Secretary, separates a highway or other noise corridor from a group of structures of which the majority of such structures closest to the highway or noise corridor—
“(i) are residential in nature; and
“(ii) are at least 10 years old as of the date of the proposal of the barrier project.”.
SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANT FUNDS.
Section 133 of title 23, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in subsection (b) by adding at the end the following:
“(25) Planning, design, preservation, or construction of a Type II noise barrier (as described in section 772.5 of title 23, Code of Federal Regulations) and consistent with the requirements of section 339(b) of the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 (23 U.S.C. 109 note).”; and
(2) in subsection (c)(2) by striking “and paragraph (23)” and inserting “, paragraph (23), and paragraph (25)”.
SEC. 4. MULTIPURPOSE NOISE BARRIERS.
(a) In General.—The Secretary of Transportation shall ensure that a noise barrier constructed or preserved under section 339(b) of the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 (23 U.S.C. 109 note) or with funds made available under title 23, United States Code, may be a multipurpose noise barrier.
(b) State Approval.—A State, on behalf of the Secretary, may approve accommodation of a secondary beneficial use on a noise barrier within a right-of-way on a Federal-aid highway.
(c) Definitions.—
(1) Multipurpose noise barrier.—The term “multipurpose noise barrier” means any noise barrier that provides a secondary beneficial use, including a barrier that hosts or accommodates renewable energy generation facilities, electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure, or broadband infrastructure and conduit.
(2) Secondary beneficial use.—The term “secondary beneficial use” means an environmental, economic, or social benefit in addition to highway noise mitigation.
SEC. 5. AESTHETICS.
A project sponsor constructing or preserving a noise barrier under section 339(b) of the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 (23 U.S.C. 109 note) or with funds made available under title 23, United States Code, shall consider the aesthetics of the proposed noise barrier, consistent with the latest version of the Noise Barrier Design Handbook published by the Federal Highway Administration of the Department of Transportation. <all>
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