Reps. Stevens and González-Colón Introduce a Bipartisan Bill to Address Mold Exposure in Homes 

February 17, 2023
Press Release

Washington, DC–Today, Reps. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) introduced the bipartisan, Fix Moldy Housing Act. This bill authorizes a study and creates voluntary standards on how to best assess and remediate mold, provides funds to establish licensure programs to train proper mold assessment and remediation, and allocates funds for states and tribal governments to safely assess and remove mold from homes and public buildings. 

“I was devastated when I was contacted by a constituent whose family was suffering health consequences from living in homes filled with unhealthy levels of mold,” said Rep. Stevens. “The Crider family has purchased three homes across SE Michigan, all of which have had toxic mold. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence. According to a national study, 33% of American homes have problems with mold or mildew. This is unacceptable. We must better understand the effects of mold on our health, train professionals in the best remediation tactics, and remove toxic mold from public buildings. This is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that will take steps to ensure that what happened to the Crider family will not continue to happen to families across the country.”  

“The presence of mold in households can bring a multitude of health issues that impact residents of all ages. It acutely affects U.S. jurisdictions, like Puerto Rico, with constituents living along coastlines, in close proximity to water, and therefore experience constant exposure to humidity and moisture. This bill seeks to strengthen efforts to assess and remediate mold and provides resources to states, including territories and tribal governments, to handle mold issues safely. I am proud to support this important bill alongside my colleague, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, and look forward to working to advance it during the current Congress,” said Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón. 

“People often ask, “How did you still have hope, even after experiencing mold in three homes?” I tell them that I began to believe that God had a purpose for this and it was bigger than us. We ultimately connected with Congresswoman Haley Stevens, and her team was there for us from the moment she heard our story. The level of compassion and empathy to hear my family’s story - and the stories of other people I know impacted - got us to where we are today. I know this is a complex, nuanced issue to tackle, but I have faith in the journey ahead because of the steps we have taken and the commitment we made to do even more. I’m committed to the journey. Our family matters and so does yours,” said Stephanie Crider, Bloomfield Hills Township Resident. 

“Each year, millions of Americans at home and work are negatively impacted by mold. Scientists and government agencies in the United States and around the world agree that living or working in a building with mold increases the risks of respiratory disease. Despite this, no national standards exist for mold investigation, evaluation, or remediation. However, several guideline documents exist,” said American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) CEO Lawrence Sloan, MBA, FASAE, CAE. “AIHA supports and encourages the passage of the Fix Moldy Housing Act. This bill would further our understanding of mold by calling for a study with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the conditions in which indoor mold remediation is warranted and how to remediate mold safely. Building on the results of this study, voluntary national standards could then be developed for identifying and safely remediating mold.”

“The Fix Moldy Housing Act offers a path to ensuring that mold assessors and remediators throughout the United States are properly trained. The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) has been at the forefront of educating mold remediation professionals by developing accredited certifications and standards. We look forward to offering our standards and certifications to members of Congress, the EPA, and other stakeholders to assist in the development of state licensure programs,” said IICRC President/Chairman, Carey Vermeulen:

“We fully support EPA’s mold prevention and remediation efforts. This Act is essential to addressing the health risks associated with mold, particularly for those who are least able to address this environmental injustice – our families and communities with lower incomes,” said National Environmental Health Association Executive Director, David T. Dyjack, Dr, PH, CIH.

The Fix Moldy Housing Act:

  • Instructs the EPA to enter into an arrangement with the National Academies to study when mold assessment and remediation is warranted and how to safely and properly assess and remediate mold.
  • Directs the EPA to issue non binding standards that identify levels of mold that should be assessed and remediated. Instructs the EPA to create non binding standards on how to assess and remediate mold.  
  • Provides a $50 million a year grant program for state and tribal governments to establish and operate a licensing program for persons engaging in assessing and remediating mold, provides states and tribal governments with technical assistance in carrying out the program, and establishes a training program on assessing and remediating mold.
  • Creates a $50 million a year grant program to assist states and tribal governments with covering the costs associated with assessing and remediating mold in public buildings and severely impacted homes, prioritizing low-income housing, low-income communities, and structures that need assessment and remediation according to EPA standards. Grants may not be awarded to high income households as determined by EPA. Grants may also be used to cover up to 6 months of housing costs for individuals severely impacted by mold in their residence, are without insurance coverage for mold, and do not have sufficient financial resources to obtain alternative housing.

This bill has been endorsed by; the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, and the National Environmental Health Association. 

 More information on the Fix Moldy Housing Act can be found here. 

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