WASHINGTON — Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate in January 2026 would establish federal mold remediation standards for military base housing, requiring the Department of Defense to adopt the IICRC S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation and mandating that identified mold be remediated within 30 days.
The Military Housing Oversight and Livability Disclosure Act — known as the MOLD Act — was introduced following years of reporting on mold conditions in privatized military housing that have caused illness in service members and their families. The legislation has 22 co-sponsors in the Senate and companion legislation in the House.
The MOLD Act would require base housing operators to disclose mold test results to residents within 72 hours of testing, provide alternative housing to families displaced by mold remediation, and establish a whistleblower protection program for military families who report housing deficiencies.
The IICRC S520 standard, which the legislation would require DoD to adopt, sets protocols for mold assessment, remediation, and post-remediation verification testing. Industry organizations including the IICRC and the Restoration Industry Association have submitted letters of support for the legislation.
Military family advocacy groups have documented hundreds of cases in which base housing operators failed to remediate mold conditions despite repeated complaints from residents. The MOLD Act would create a federal cause of action for military families whose housing complaints are not addressed within the statutory timeframe.
