[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10273 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10273
To direct the Secretary of Defense, in consultation the heads of
certain agencies and organizations, to conduct a study on the health
effects of indoor residential mold growth in covered military housing,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 3, 2024
Mr. Courtney (for himself, Mr. Moylan, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr.
Hudson, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Mr. Ruiz, Mr. Amo, Mr. Larson of
Connecticut, Mr. Moore of Utah, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Grijalva, Mr.
Magaziner, Mr. Dunn of Florida, Mr. McGarvey, Mr. Case, Mr. Murphy, Ms.
Tokuda, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Crow, and Mr. Turner) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense, in consultation the heads of
certain agencies and organizations, to conduct a study on the health
effects of indoor residential mold growth in covered military housing,
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. STUDY ON HEALTH IMPACTS OF INDOOR RESIDENTIAL MOLD; CERTAIN
STANDARDS FOR HOUSING ON MILITARY INSTALLATIONS REQUIRED;
REPORT.
(a) Study and Report on Health Impacts of Indoor Residential
Mold.--
(1) Study.--
(A) In general.--As soon as practicable after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Defense, in consultation with the Director of the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Secretary of Energy, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, the President
of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Chair of
the Board of Directors of the National Institute of
Building Sciences shall conduct a comprehensive study
of the effects of indoor residential mold growth in
covered military housing on the health of members of
the Armed Forces and the families of such members
residing in such housing, using the most up-to-date
scientific peer-reviewed literature.
(B) Elements.--The study conducted under
subparagraph (A) shall ascertain--
(i) detailed information about harmful or
toxigenic mold, including any toxin or toxic
compound such mold can produce, that may impact
individuals residing in covered military
housing;
(ii) the most accurate research-based
methods of detecting harmful or toxigenic mold;
(iii) potential dangers of prolonged or
chronic exposure to indoor residential mold
growth to individuals residing in covered
military housing;
(iv) the hazards to individuals responsible
for inspecting such military housing for the
presence of mold and to individuals residing in
covered military housing associated with--
(I) inadequate mold inspections on
military installations; and
(II) improper indoor residential
mold remediation in military
unaccompanied housing;
(v) the estimated current public health
burden of new or exacerbated physical illness
resulting from exposure to indoor residential
mold on the military departments and its effect
on quality of life as it impacts readiness,
including the burden on children in military
families;
(vi) an improved understanding of the
different health symptomology that can result
from exposure to mold in indoor residential
environments on military installations,
including military unaccompanied housing;
(vii) the prevalence of idiopathic
pulmonary hemorrhage in infants living in
covered military housing; and
(viii) the effects of indoor mold exposure
in early childhood on the development of asthma
and other respiratory illnesses in children
residing in covered military housing.
(2) Submission to congress.--
(A) In general.--Not later than the date that is
three years after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress
and the President a report that contains the results of
the study conducted under subparagraph (A).
(B) Form.--The report required by clause (i) shall
be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a
classified index.
(b) Health, Safety, and Habitability Standards and Model
Standards.--
(1) Model standards for preventing, detecting, and
remediating indoor residential mold growth.--Based on the
results of the interagency health study conducted under
subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Assistant
Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health at the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Secretary of
Energy, the Executive Director of the National Institute of
Building Sciences, and the President of the National Academy of
Sciences shall, in accordance with section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15
U.S.C. 272 note; Public Law 104-113), jointly issue model
health, safety, and habitability standards for preventing,
detecting, and remediating indoor residential mold growth on
military installations, including--
(A) model residential mold inspection standards for
military unaccompanied housing;
(B) model indoor residential mold remediation
standards for military installations;
(C) standards for testing the toxicity of indoor
residential mold and any toxin or toxic compound
produced by indoor residential mold on military
installations;
(D) health and safety standards for the protection
of those inspecting for and remediating mold in covered
military housing;
(E) standards for indoor residential mold testing
labs that serve military installations;
(F) model ventilation standards for the design,
installation, and maintenance of air ventilation or
air-conditioning systems in housing on military
installations to prevent indoor residential mold growth
or the creation of conditions that foster indoor mold
growth in covered military housing; and
(G) model building code standards for housing on
military installations to control moisture and prevent
mold growth.
(2) Consultation.--To the maximum extent possible, model
standards issued under this subsection shall be developed or
issued with the assistance of--
(A) organizations that develop mold and water
damage standards and work with military installations;
(B) organizations involved in establishing national
building construction standards and work with military
installations;
(C) organizations involved in improving indoor air
quality;
(D) public health advocates that serve the military
community; and
(E) health and medical professionals that provide
care for members of the Armed Forces and the families
of such members, including practitioners that care for
children of such members.
(3) Resiliency.--Model standards issued under this
subsection shall take into account geographic diversity,
propensity for extreme weather or flooding, and other
resiliency metrics that affect military housing.
(4) Deadlines.--
(A) Public review and comment.--The officers
identified in paragraph (1) shall make draft standards
issued under this section available for public review
and comment at least 90 days prior to publication of
the final standards or model standards pursuant to
subparagraph (B).
(B) Publication.--Not later than three years after
the results of the study conducted under subsection (a)
are submitted to Congress in accordance with such
section, the officers identified in such subsection
shall issue, and make available to the public, final
standards and model standards under this section.
(5) Review and updates.--The officers identified in
paragraph (1) shall--
(A) review the model standards issued under this
subsection at least once every five years based on
latest scientific advances and published studies
relating to indoor residential mold growth; and
(B) update such standards and model standards as
necessary to preserve and improve the quality of
housing on military installations, and prevent the
displacement of those currently living on military
installations.
(c) Construction Requirements for New Housing on Military
Installations.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation
with Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Executive
Director of the National Institute of Building Sciences, and
the President of the National Academy of Sciences, to the
extent such Director and President agree to participate, shall
develop model construction standards and techniques for
preventing and controlling indoor residential mold in new
residential properties on military installations.
(2) Contents.--The model standards and techniques shall
provide for geographic differences in construction types and
materials, geology, weather, and other variables that may
affect indoor residential mold levels in new buildings and on
various military installations.
(3) Consultation.--To the maximum extent possible, such
standards and techniques shall be developed with--
(A) the assistance of organizations involved in
establishing national building construction standards
and techniques, including such organizations that
establish such standards for military installations;
(B) the assistance of organizations that develop
mold and water damage standards on military
installations; and
(C) public health advocates that serve the military
community.
(4) Publication.--The Secretary shall make a draft of the
document containing the model standards and techniques
available for public review and comment. The Secretary shall
make final model standards and techniques available to the
public not later than one year after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
(5) Applicability to new construction and rehabilitation.--
Within 1 year of the publication of the final model standards
and techniques required by subparagraph (D), the Secretary of
Defense shall include such model standards and techniques as a
requirement for residential rehabilitation or new construction
projects funded with Federal appropriations made available by
such agencies.
(d) Education for Military Health Professionals.--The Secretary of
Defense shall include education for military health professions on
mold-related illness, including signs and symptoms of toxigenic mold
exposure, in recurring training received by miliary health
practitioners at such time and in such manner as the Secretary
determines appropriate.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``covered military housing'' means--
(A) military unaccompanied housing;
(B) military family housing; and
(C) housing acquired or constructed under
subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States
Code.
(2) The term ``indoor residential mold'' means any form of
multi-cellular fungi in indoor environments, including
cladosporium, penicillium, alternaria, aspergillus, fusarium,
trichoderma, memnoniella, mucor, stachybotrys chartarum,
chaetomium, streptomyces, and epicoccumoften found in water-
damaged indoor environments and building materials.
(3) The term ``toxigenic mold'' means any indoor mold
growth that may be capable of producing a toxin or toxic
compound, including mycotoxins and mVOCs, that can cause
pulmonary, respiratory, neurological, gastrointestinal, or
dermatological illnesses, or other major adverse health
impacts, as determined by the Secretary of Defense in
consultation with the Director of the National Institutes of
Health, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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