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H.R. 8244 — Neighborhood Skies Act of 2026

Full bill intelligence brief: sponsor credibility, committee gatekeepers, legislative lineage, passage outlook, district context, and lobbying analysis.

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Give me a full intelligence brief on H.R. 8244, the Neighborhood Skies Act of 2026. Include sponsor credibility, committee gatekeepers, similar bills, passage outlook, and district context.

H.R. 8244 — Neighborhood Skies Act of 2026

Requires the Secretary of Defense to report annually on the number of DoD proficiency flights over the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Introduced April 9, 2026Sponsor Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA-7)Committee House Armed Services⏳ Referred

Key Metrics

NDAA Amendment Odds

25–35%

Most viable path to enactment

Standalone Odds

5–10%

Very unlikely as standalone bill

Dies in Committee

~65%

Historical base rate for similar bills

Cosponsor

No bipartisan support yet

Legislative Impact Index (LII)

📊

What is the LII?

The Legislative Impact Index measures how effectively a member moves legislation through the pipeline — from introduction through committee, floor votes, and enactment. It goes beyond bill counts to track substantive progress. Scores are normalized (0–100) within each Congress and party.

80+ Highly Effective60–79 Above Average40–59 Average20–39 Low Activity<20 Minimal

Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking (Volden & Wiseman) · 118th Congress (most recent completed)

Bill Progression Pipeline

Introduced

Apr 9, 2026

→

Referred to HASC

Current Stage

→

Subcommittee

Pending

→

Committee Markup

Pending

→

Floor Vote

Unlikely standalone

→

Senate

Unlikely standalone

→

Signed

Unlikely standalone

Current status: Referred to House Armed Services Committee

💡 Most Viable Path

Inclusion as an amendment or provision in the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) during HASC markup. Reporting requirements are among the easiest provisions to attach to must-pass defense legislation.

Bill Details

Field	Detail
Bill Number	H.R. 8244
Short Title	Neighborhood Skies Act of 2026
Type	Reporting / Transparency
Policy Area	Armed Forces & National Security
Constitutional Authority	Article I, Section 8
Chamber	House
Last Updated	April 11, 2026

Field	Detail
Bill Number	H.R. 8244
Short Title	Neighborhood Skies Act of 2026
Type	Reporting / Transparency
Policy Area	Armed Forces & National Security
Constitutional Authority	Article I, Section 8
Chamber	House
Last Updated	April 11, 2026

Plain-English Summary

This bill would require the Secretary of Defense to send Congress a yearly report detailing how many "proficiency flights" — training and currency-maintenance flights by military pilots — are being conducted over the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

It does not restrict or limit flights; it establishes a data baseline for future policy decisions.

Cosponsors & Network

Cosponsor Network

Sponsor

Eugene Vindman

D-VA-7 · HASC Rank 25

+2.6 margin

→↓Cosponsor

Don Beyer

D-VA-8 · Ways & Means

+46.9 margin

✗ No Bipartisan Support✓ Geographic Cluster (NoVA)

Rep. Eugene Vindman

D-VA-7 · Sponsor

Freshman

First Elected2024

Party Loyalty92.5%

Participation Rate98.3%

IdeologyLean Liberal (−0.166)

CommitteesArmed Services, Agriculture

Military Service25 yrs U.S. Army

Total Bills (119th)52 sponsored · 829 cosponsored

LII Score (118th)N/AFreshman

Sponsor Credibility Assessment

HIGH CREDIBILITY (5/5)

✓Sits on relevant committee — HASC rank 25

✓Military background — 25-yr Army career

✓Policy area alignment — Armed Forces is #1 priority

✓Prior legislation — Identical bill earlier in 119th

✓Electoral incentive — Constituent bill for swing seat

Rep. Don Beyer

D-VA-8 · Cosponsor

Safe Seat

Party Loyalty98.8%

Participation Rate97.2%

IdeologyLiberal (−0.395)

2024 Margin+46.86 points

Original CosponsorYes

CommitteesWays & Means, Science

District Income$127,899 median

LII Score (118th)46.5Average

LII Trend↓ from 79.0 (117th)

Network Signal Analysis

✗Bipartisan? — No, Democrats only

✓Geographic cluster? — Adjacent NoVA districts

✗Committee overlap? — Beyer not on HASC

Hyper-local bill: VA-7 and VA-8 together represent ~1.6 million residents in the D.C. metro area directly affected by military flight noise. Geographic rather than ideological cohesion.

Committee Gatekeepers

House Armed Services Committee — Gatekeeper Influence Matrix

Role	Member	Party	State	LII (118th)	Alignment
Chair	Mike Rogers	R	AL	51.9 Avg	❓ Unknown
Ranking Member	Adam Smith	D	WA	21.6 Low	✓ Aligned
Sr. R Member	Joe Wilson	R	SC	—	❓ Unknown
Sr. D Member	Joe Courtney	D	CT	—	❓ Unknown

Role	Member	Party	State	LII (118th)	Alignment
Chair	Mike Rogers	R	AL	51.9 Avg	❓ Unknown
Ranking Member	Adam Smith	D	WA	21.6 Low	✓ Aligned
Sr. R Member	Joe Wilson	R	SC	—	❓ Unknown
Sr. D Member	Joe Courtney	D	CT	—	❓ Unknown

Key Finding: Ranking Member Alignment

Adam Smith (D-WA), the HASC Ranking Member, has himself sponsored two aircraft noise bills in the 119th Congress:

→HR-897: Aviation-Impacted Communities Act

→HR-898: Aviation Noise & Emissions Mitigation Act

This makes Smith a natural ally for Vindman's bill. The Ranking Member's personal interest in aviation noise significantly increases the probability that this issue surfaces during NDAA markup.

Virginia Delegation on HASC — Potential Allies

Virginia has 4 members on House Armed Services — the sponsor plus 3 Republicans. None have cosponsored H.R. 8244. Any one of them signing on would transform the bill's bipartisan prospects.

Rob Wittman

R-VA-1 · HASC Rank 4

Conservative

SenioritySenior — since 2007

DistrictVA-1 (Fredericksburg, Northern Neck)

District Income$103,501

Party Loyalty95.8%

LII Score (118th)48.0Average

LII Peak75.4 (117th)Highly Effective

Military FocusShipbuilding, defense workforce

Cosponsored H.R. 8244?No

Key signal: Most senior Virginia Republican on HASC. His cosponsorship would carry the most weight. VA-1 borders VA-7 and includes areas near Quantico — constituents may also be affected by military overflights.

Jennifer Kiggans

R-VA-2 · HASC Rank 18

Conservative

BackgroundFormer Navy helicopter pilot

DistrictVA-2 (Virginia Beach, Eastern Shore)

District Income$91,821

Party Loyalty93.2%

LII Score (118th)79.3Highly Effective

Vindman Collaborations14 mutual bills

Cosponsored H.R. 8244?No

Key signal: As a former Navy helicopter pilot, Kiggans has direct subject-matter credibility on military flight operations. VA-2 includes Naval Station Norfolk and NAS Oceana — her constituents understand overflight impact. Already one of Vindman's top cross-aisle collaborators (14 mutual bills).

John McGuire

R-VA-5 · HASC Rank 25

Very Conservative

StatusFreshman

District Income$70K median

Armed Forces Bills26 related bills

Bipartisan Cosponsors205 cross-party

LII Score (118th)N/AFreshman

🎯 Strategic Assessment

Kiggans is the highest-value target for cosponsorship outreach — her helicopter pilot background gives the bill bipartisan military credibility that no other cosponsor could match, and her LII of 79.3 (Highly Effective) means she actually moves legislation through the pipeline. Wittman carries the most seniority weight (Rank 4), peaked at 75.4 LII (117th), and represents an adjacent district. Either signing on would significantly boost the NDAA amendment probability from ~30% to an estimated 45–55%.

Legislative Lineage

Semantic Search Results

PoliStack's vector search identified 10 semantically similar bills across 4 Congresses. None were enacted.

Bill	Title	Congress	Sponsor	Party	Similarity
HR-5205	Aircraft Noise Reduction Act	119th	Neguse	D-CO	0.77
HR-5423	Aircraft Noise Reduction Act	116th	Neguse	D-CO	0.76
HR-4495	Aircraft Noise Reduction Act	118th	Neguse	D-CO	0.75
HR-7753	Protecting Communities from Helicopter Noise Act	118th	Menendez	D-NJ	0.75
HR-897	Aviation-Impacted Communities Act	119th	Smith	D-WA	0.75
HR-5874	Decrease Noise Levels Act	116th	Meng	D-NY	0.74
HR-7853	Aviation-Impacted Communities Act	117th	Smith	D-WA	0.74
HR-3921	REDUCE HELICOPTER Noise Act	118th	Pascrell	D-NJ	0.74
S-902	Supersonic/Hypersonic Testing Corridor Act	118th	Lee	R-UT	0.74
HR-898	Aviation Noise & Emissions Mitigation Act	119th	Smith	D-WA	0.74

Bill	Title	Congress	Sponsor	Party	Similarity
HR-5205	Aircraft Noise Reduction Act	119th	Neguse	D-CO	0.77
HR-5423	Aircraft Noise Reduction Act	116th	Neguse	D-CO	0.76
HR-4495	Aircraft Noise Reduction Act	118th	Neguse	D-CO	0.75
HR-7753	Protecting Communities from Helicopter Noise Act	118th	Menendez	D-NJ	0.75
HR-897	Aviation-Impacted Communities Act	119th	Smith	D-WA	0.75
HR-5874	Decrease Noise Levels Act	116th	Meng	D-NY	0.74
HR-7853	Aviation-Impacted Communities Act	117th	Smith	D-WA	0.74
HR-3921	REDUCE HELICOPTER Noise Act	118th	Pascrell	D-NJ	0.74
S-902	Supersonic/Hypersonic Testing Corridor Act	118th	Lee	R-UT	0.74
HR-898	Aviation Noise & Emissions Mitigation Act	119th	Smith	D-WA	0.74

Pattern Analysis

100% Failure Rate

Every similar bill died in committee across 4 Congresses (116th–119th). No aviation noise bill has been enacted as standalone legislation.

Key Patterns

→Overwhelmingly Democratic: Only S-902 (Lee, R-UT) had an R sponsor

→Repeat sponsors: Neguse (3 Congresses), Smith (2 Congresses)

→H.R. 8244 is different: Referred to Armed Services, not T&I. NDAA path is unique.

→Reintroduction: Vindman sponsored an identical bill earlier in the 119th

Passage Outlook

Standalone Enactment

~5%

Requires HASC markup, floor vote, Senate companion, and presidential signature. Very unlikely for a reporting bill from a minority member.

NDAA Amendment

~30%

Most viable path. Reporting provisions are low-controversy NDAA add-ons. Smith (RM) alignment helps. Vindman can offer during HASC markup.

Dies in Committee

~65%

Historical base rate for similar bills. Most likely outcome absent NDAA attachment.

Factor Analysis

Factors influencing passage probability

Ranking Member Aligned

Positive

Bill Scope (Reporting Only)

Low-Threat

Sponsor on Committee

Positive

Chair's Interest

Unknown

Bipartisan Support

Absent

What Would Increase Passage Odds

Key Actions

→Republican Cosponsor from HASC: Wittman (R-VA) or any R member would transform prospects and signal bipartisan viability

→Senate Companion Bill: Warner or Kaine (both VA senators) would signal bicameral intent and create a legislative track in both chambers

→DoD OIG or GAO Report: External validation provides an independent evidence base that strengthens committee testimony

→Local Government Resolutions: County/city council support from Northern Virginia adds political weight and constituent mandate

→Constituent Petition Data: Documented flight noise complaints create a committee record that justifies reporting requirements

District & Lobbying

Population

797K

VA-7 district residents

Median Income

$110K

Affluent suburban district

College Educated

37.3%

Highly educated electorate

Diversity Index

62.4

District diversity score

Why This Bill Matters to VA-7

VA-7 is an affluent, educated suburban district in Northern Virginia where military flight noise is a quality-of-life issue tied directly to property values and daily livability. Proximity to Joint Base Andrews, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Pentagon helicopter operations, and Davison Army Airfield means residents experience regular overflight disruption.

High Political Engagement Demographics

For a district with $110K median income and 37% college-educated residents, noise complaints translate directly into political engagement. This is the demographic that votes in midterms and contacts congressional offices.

⚠️ Lobbying Vacuum Detected

No direct lobbying activity found around military flight noise or DoD proficiency flights in the PoliStack graph.

This means: no defense contractors or aviation groups are lobbying against this transparency measure, no community organizations have registered LDA filings, and the bill operates with low industry attention — which cuts both ways (no opposition but also no organized push).

Potential Stakeholder Map

Stakeholder	Position	Rationale
DoD / Pentagon	Neutral–Opposed	Reporting requirements add administrative burden
AOPA	Monitor	General aviation interest, watching but not actively lobbying
NoVA HOAs & Civic Assoc.	Support	Direct beneficiaries of flight noise data transparency
Military Pilot Associations	Opposed	Concern that data could lead to future flight restrictions
Real Estate Industry (NoVA)	Support	Property value implications from flight noise documentation

Stakeholder	Position	Rationale
DoD / Pentagon	Neutral–Opposed	Reporting requirements add administrative burden
AOPA	Monitor	General aviation interest, watching but not actively lobbying
NoVA HOAs & Civic Assoc.	Support	Direct beneficiaries of flight noise data transparency
Military Pilot Associations	Opposed	Concern that data could lead to future flight restrictions
Real Estate Industry (NoVA)	Support	Property value implications from flight noise documentation

Words vs. Actions Alignment

How well sponsor's actions match stated priorities

Military Background

Aligned

HASC Committee Seat

Aligned

Stated Priority: Armed Forces

Aligned

Prior Legislation

Aligned

Electoral Timing

7 mo. to election

Alignment Rating: STRONG

This bill is consistent with Vindman's military background, committee assignment, stated priorities, and district needs. The electoral timing is transparent but doesn't undermine the policy substance.

Data sources: Congress.gov (Library of Congress), Center for Effective Lawmaking (Volden & Wiseman), Voteview (Lewis et al.), U.S. Census ACS, FEC