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.

Bill: 118-hr-10273
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2]
Introduced: 2024-12-03
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10273 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.

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.