I 
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. MUR-
PHY, Ms. TOKUDA, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. CROW, and Mr. TUR-
NER) 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. STUDY ON HEALTH IMPACTS OF INDOOR RESI-
DENTIAL MOLD; CERTAIN STANDARDS FOR 
HOUSING ON MILITARY INSTALLATIONS RE-
QUIRED; 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 Sec-
retary of Defense, in consultation with the Di-
rector of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Health Affairs, the Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development, the Director of the Cen-
ters 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 resid-
ing in such housing, using the most up-to-date 
scientific peer-reviewed literature. 
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(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 respon-
sible for inspecting such military housing 
for the presence of mold and to individuals 
residing in covered military housing associ-
ated with— 
(I) inadequate mold inspections 
on military installations; and 
(II) improper indoor residential 
mold remediation in military unac-
companied housing; 
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(v) the estimated current public 
health burden of new or exacerbated phys-
ical illness resulting from exposure to in-
door residential mold on the military de-
partments and its effect on quality of life 
as it impacts readiness, including the bur-
den on children in military families; 
(vi) an improved understanding of the 
different health symptomology that can re-
sult from exposure to mold in indoor resi-
dential environments on military installa-
tions, including military unaccompanied 
housing; 
(vii) the prevalence of idiopathic pul-
monary hemorrhage in infants living in 
covered military housing; and 
(viii) the effects of indoor mold expo-
sure in early childhood on the development 
of asthma and other respiratory illnesses in 
children residing in covered military hous-
ing. 
(2) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the date 
that is three years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
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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 STAND-
ARDS AND MODEL STANDARDS.— 
(1) MODEL STANDARDS FOR PREVENTING, DE-
TECTING, AND REMEDIATING INDOOR RESIDENTIAL 
MOLD GROWTH.—Based on the results of the inter-
agency 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 Devel-
opment, 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 
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issue model health, safety, and habitability stand-
ards for preventing, detecting, and remediating in-
door residential mold growth on military installa-
tions, including— 
(A) model residential mold inspection 
standards for military unaccompanied housing; 
(B) model indoor residential mold remedi-
ation standards for military installations; 
(C) standards for testing the toxicity of in-
door 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 remedi-
ating mold in covered military housing; 
(E) standards for indoor residential mold 
testing labs that serve military installations; 
(F) model ventilation standards for the de-
sign, installation, and maintenance of air ven-
tilation or air-conditioning systems in housing 
on military installations to prevent indoor resi-
dential mold growth or the creation of condi-
tions that foster indoor mold growth in covered 
military housing; and 
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(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 sub-
section shall be developed or issued with the assist-
ance 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 in-
door 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 geo-
graphic diversity, propensity for extreme weather or 
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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 avail-
able 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 iden-
tified 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 
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(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 HOUS-
ING 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 tech-
niques for preventing and controlling indoor residen-
tial mold in new residential properties on military in-
stallations. 
(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 residen-
tial mold levels in new buildings and on various mili-
tary installations. 
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(3) CONSULTATION.—To the maximum extent 
possible, such standards and techniques shall be de-
veloped with— 
(A) the assistance of organizations involved 
in establishing national building construction 
standards and techniques, including such orga-
nizations that establish such standards for mili-
tary installations; 
(B) the assistance of organizations that de-
velop 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 stand-
ards 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 publi-
cation of the final model standards and techniques 
required by subparagraph (D), the Secretary of De-
fense shall include such model standards and tech-
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niques as a requirement for residential rehabilitation 
or new construction projects funded with Federal 
appropriations made available by such agencies. 
(d) EDUCATION FOR MILITARY HEALTH PROFES-
SIONALS.—The Secretary of Defense shall include edu-
cation for military health professions on mold-related ill-
ness, including signs and symptoms of toxigenic mold ex-
posure, in recurring training received by miliary health 
practitioners at such time and in such manner as the Sec-
retary 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 environ-
ments, 
including 
cladosporium, 
penicillium, 
alternaria, 
aspergillus, 
fusarium, 
trichoderma, 
memnoniella, 
mucor, 
stachybotrys 
chartarum, 
chaetomium, 
streptomyces, 
and 
epicoccumoften 
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found in water-damaged indoor environments and 
building materials. 
(3) The term ‘‘toxigenic mold’’ means any in-
door mold growth that may be capable of producing 
a toxin or toxic compound, including mycotoxins and 
mVOCs, that can cause pulmonary, respiratory, neu-
rological, gastrointestinal, or dermatological ill-
nesses, or other major adverse health impacts, as de-
termined by the Secretary of Defense in consultation 
with the Director of the National Institutes of 
Health, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment, the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, and the Director of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention. 
Æ 
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