Dear Friends and Healthy Indoor Air Advocates,
As we head into another fall season, we're proud to share what has been our most consequential year yet. In 2026, Change the Air helped launch a federal bill built around military families, saw it written into the Senate's defense bill, and helped make Connecticut the first state in the nation to require the ANSI/IICRC S520 standard for all mold remediation. None of it happens without our community, volunteers, and partners, and we are grateful to every one of you.
Federal Advocacy and the MOLD Act
Protecting military families remains at the heart of our federal work this year. Too many service members and their families still live with mold and water damage in privatized military housing, and in 2026 we moved from federal amendments to a dedicated standalone bill.
In January, we traveled to Washington, D.C. to help launch the bipartisan Military Occupancy Living Defense (MOLD) Act (S. 3654 / H.R. 7188), led by a bipartisan group of legislators Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and James Moylan (R-Guam).
The big news from that effort is that in June, the MOLD Act's core protections were added to the Senate's version of the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual law that sets the budget and policy for the Department of War. If it becomes law, the MOLD Act would:
- Set clear standards for relative humidity, ventilation, and water intrusion in military family housing.
- Require independent inspections after a family files a complaint and after any mold remediation.
- Require proper mold remediation under the ANSI/IICRC S520 standard, done by certified professionals.
- Give families the facts by letting them see a home's inspection records before they move in.
- Make housing contractors pay for repairs and relocation, and refund housing allowance to families forced out of unsafe homes.
It is not law yet. The House left these vital protections out of its version, so we are pushing hard right now to keep them in the final bill as the two chambers negotiate the final text. We expect to know more about the final NDAA by late fall.
While the MOLD Act applies only to privatized military housing, we believe its impact will reach much further. If passed, it would set the first federal precedent and a clear baseline for mold inspections and remediations that we can point to as we keep advocating for stronger protections in civilian homes.
This year, our team made four trips to Washington, D.C. and met with more than 80+ congressional offices, up from 50+ in 2025. In every meeting, military families and advocates brought their lived experience to the table, and it is making a real difference on Capitol Hill.
Military families and Change the Air Foundation advocates carried your support to Capitol Hill. Special thanks to the Thompsonfamily, Cato family, and Talarico Family for joining us.
State-Level Momentum and a First for the Nation Bill in Connecticut
One of our biggest state wins to date came this year in Connecticut. With the passage of House Bill 5222,Connecticut became the first state in the nation to mandate the ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation for all mold remediation work. The new law also requires mold remediation contractors to hold a recognized professional certification as a requirement for licensure inthe state.
This matters because only eight states require mold remediators to hold any form of license orcertification, and until now no state required remediation to follow the industry's standard of care,ANSI/IICRC S520. Connecticut now gives families a clear, enforceable baseline, and it gives every otherstate a model to follow.
We want to thank every Connecticut volunteer, advocate, supporter, and impacted family who helpedmake this victory possible through your persistence, hard work, and passion.
Connecticut joins Illinois, where our first bill, The Mold Remediation Registration Act, became law in2024. Across the country, our state work continues to grow.
- 2 bills signed into law, in Illinois (2024) and Connecticut (2026).
- 15 legislative proposals across 9 states supported to date, up from 12 proposals across 8 states infall 2025. States include Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania,and West Virginia.
We are building real relationships in state capitols and keeping policymakers focused on how mold andwater damage affect public health.
Focused Where It Counts
This year we continued building on our momentum, combining advocacy, data, and real stories fromour community to make an impact. The results speak for themselves, with four trips to D.C., 80+congressional offices, a federal bill in the Senate NDAA, and a first-in-the-nation state law mandating thatmold remediation follows the industry standard of care, ANSI/IICRC S520.
Looking Forward
Change the Air Foundation is more than an advocacy nonprofit. We are a movement. Every meeting inCongress and every state bill moves mold and indoor air quality further into the policy mainstream.
As we move toward year's end and into 2027, our priorities include
- Keeping the MOLD Act provisions in the final FY2027 NDAA and getting them signed into law.
- Building on Connecticut's S520 mold remediation mandate law as a model for other states.
- Advancing our pending proposals and introducing new bills in more states.
- Expanding our network of advocates, experts, and impacted voices.
Thank you to our community and supporters for your continued trust, partnership, and passion.Together, we are turning the tide on mold, water damage, and unhealthy indoor environments.
In health and change,
Brandon Chappo
Director of Public Policy
Change the Air Foundation