Quiet Skies Act

Bill Number

H.R. 9530

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-06-29: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Last Updated

2026-07-06T13:38:29Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose The legislation, titled the "Quiet Skies Act," directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations that prohibit certain cell phone voice communications on aircraft during scheduled passenger interstate or intrastate air transportation.

Key Provisions

• Requires the Secretary of Transportation to issue a final rule no later than 180 days after the date of enactment.
• The rule must address regulations already mandated under section 41725 of title 49, United States Code.
• Applies specifically to scheduled passenger flights in interstate or intrastate air transportation.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adds a firm 180-day deadline for the Department of Transportation to finalize regulations that section 41725 of title 49 already requires to be issued.
• Does not alter the substance of the underlying statutory requirement but accelerates its implementation.

Potential Impacts

• Government agencies: Obligates the Department of Transportation to complete rulemaking within a short timeframe, potentially requiring expedited review and coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration.
• Citizens: May restrict passengers' ability to make voice calls on aircraft, aiming to reduce noise and disturbances during flights.
• International relations: No direct effects addressed in the bill, as it is limited to U.S. interstate and intrastate operations.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• The Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration (regulatory enforcement).
• Airlines and aircraft operators (compliance with new rules).
• Passengers (restrictions on in-flight voice communications).
• Telecommunications providers (possible effects on in-flight services).

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Reinforces congressional oversight by imposing a statutory timeline on an existing regulatory mandate.
• Raises potential questions about administrative procedure timelines but introduces no new constitutional issues in the text itself.
• Focuses on domestic aviation policy without addressing broader free speech or privacy considerations.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]

Cosponsors (3)

Rep. Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1], Rep. Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4], Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8]

Recent Actions

• 2026-06-29: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
• 2026-06-29: Introduced in House
• 2026-06-29: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Quiet Skies Act — issued 2026-06-29 — PDF (2 pages)