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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10273 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

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.
                                 <all>
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