HR5123-119

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act of 2025.

2. Definitions In this Act: The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The term covered childcare facility means a facility used by an early childhood education program. The term early childhood education program has the meaning given to that term in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003). The term indoor means the enclosed portions of buildings, including nonindustrial workplaces, public buildings, Federal buildings, schools, childcare facilities, commercial buildings, and residences. The term indoor air contaminant means any solid, liquid, semisolid, dissolved solid, biogenic agent, aerosol, or gaseous material, including combinations or mixtures of substances, in indoor air which may reasonably be anticipated to have an adverse effect on human health. The term indoor contaminant of concern means an indoor air contaminant that— is among the most commonly occurring and poses a risk to human health; or is less commonly occurring and poses a significant risk to human health. The term local educational agency means— a local educational agency (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); or a Tribal education agency (as the term tribal education agency is defined in section 3 of the National Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5502)). The term State includes each of the several States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

3. Indoor Air Quality Program The Administrator shall carry out a program to support the assessment, reduction, and avoidance of exposure to indoor air contaminants to reduce risks to human health. In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Administrator shall support the assessment, reduction, and avoidance of exposure to indoor air contaminants to reduce risks to human health, including by— carrying out research, development, and demonstration activities pursuant to the Radon Gas and Indoor Air Quality Research Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 7401 note); listing indoor contaminants of concern, and publishing guidelines for such indoor contaminants of concern, under section 4; providing training, education, outreach, and technical assistance to identify, eliminate, or reduce indoor air contaminants, including by effective monitoring, source control, ventilation, and filtration practices; providing training, education, outreach, and technical assistance to support the monitoring of humidity levels and the inspection, testing, prevention, and remediation of mold; carrying out or recognizing voluntary certifications to identify and promote buildings that are most effective at preventing or minimizing risks to health from indoor air contaminants under section 7; supporting efforts to improve indoor air quality in buildings used by local educational agencies and covered childcare facilities under section 9; ensuring effective consultation and coordination among Federal agencies in carrying out programs related to indoor air quality, including the Department of Labor, the Department of Energy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Defense, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and other appropriate agencies carrying out programs related to indoor air quality; supporting State, local, and Tribal governments, local educational agencies, housing authorities, and other entities to develop and implement indoor air quality management strategies, educational campaigns, assessments, guidelines, standards, and response programs; providing information, guidance, and assistance to the public, including building owners and occupants, on— health-related risks of exposure to indoor air contaminants; and effective measures and programs for reducing or avoiding exposure to indoor air contaminants; supporting development and adoption of standardized methods, techniques, minimum product requirements, and protocols for assessing, measuring, and sampling indoor air to determine the presence and concentrations of indoor air contaminants; supporting development and adoption of control technologies, building design criteria, and management practices to prevent the entrance of contaminants into buildings and to reduce or mitigate emissions from indoor sources; assessing the effectiveness of methods, techniques, protocols, response plans, products, and technologies to reduce or avoid exposure to indoor air contaminants; supporting the development and adoption of model provisions, to be incorporated into building codes for various types of buildings, designed to improve indoor air quality while taking into account comfort, safety, and energy conservation goals; supporting development and adoption of control technologies, building design criteria, and management practices to improve indoor air quality and building resilience against the impacts of more frequent extreme weather events and other consequences of climate change; and ensuring consideration of disadvantaged communities and individuals in carrying out such program, including by providing access to financial assistance, technical assistance, and other offerings developed pursuant to this Act for all people regardless of income, race, color, gender, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability.

4. Guidelines for indoor contaminants of concern The Administrator shall establish and maintain a list of indoor contaminants of concern. The list under paragraph (1) may— include combinations or mixtures of contaminants; and refer to such combinations or mixtures by a common name. Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish the initial list under paragraph (1). At a minimum, the initial list established under subsection (a) shall include— particulate matter; carbon monoxide; nitrogen dioxide; ozone; formaldehyde; and radon. The Administrator shall publish science-based, voluntary guidelines for each indoor contaminant of concern listed under subsection (a). A guideline published under this subsection shall— include information and a range of recommendations for operation and maintenance of existing buildings, the design and construction of new buildings, building renovation, and such other activities as are necessary to identify, and reduce or prevent exposure to, the indoor contaminant of concern listed under subsection (a); be designed to achieve significant risk reduction; be technologically achievable and readily implementable; take into consideration safety, energy, and other relevant factors; include an assessment of effectiveness and cost; and be based on available research and expertise. Each guideline published under this subsection shall, upon the Administrator making a determination that sufficient scientific evidence exists, include a recommended health-based limit on concentration levels of indoor contaminants of concern. A limit under subparagraph (A)— shall be based on the best available science; and may include a range that includes— a concentration level at which a healthy adult should take action to reduce exposure; and a concentration level at which there is evidence of adverse human health effects in susceptible subpopulations, such as infants, children, pregnant women, workers, and the elderly. If the Administrator determines insufficient evidence exists to set a health-based concentration limit for an indoor contaminant of concern listed under subsection (a), the Administrator shall publish a report not later than 1 year after making such determination, which shall identify— studies and other activities to be taken to develop the evidence necessary to set a health-based concentration limit; and resources necessary to carry out activities under clause (i). While the Administrator develops sufficient scientific evidence to set a recommended health-based concentration limit for an indoor contaminant of concern under subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall publish interim guidelines, which shall include best practices to reduce exposure to such indoor contaminant of concern. Not less than every five years, the Administrator shall review and, as necessary, revise— the list of indoor contaminants of concern under subsection (a); and the guidelines published under subsection (c). In developing, reviewing, and revising the guidelines published under subsection (c), the Administrator shall consult with representatives from non-profit, professional, private sector, governmental, and labor organizations, and individuals, having demonstrated expertise in indoor air quality, public health, building systems, industrial hygiene, environmental engineering, toxicology, and environmental health and safety. The Administrator shall, after consultation with the Secretary of Labor, ensure that the guidelines published under subsection (c) are consistent with any Federal workplace regulations addressing indoor air quality risks. Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the guidelines published under subsection (c) may recommend additional voluntary actions to protect persons other than workers covered by such guidelines from indoor contaminants of concern listed under subsection (a). The Administrator shall, after consultation with the Secretary of Energy, ensure that the guidelines published under subsection (c) are consistent with applicable energy conservation and efficiency statutes and regulations administered by the Secretary.

6. Indoor air quality assistance The Administrator may provide technical assistance and financial assistance, which may include grants, to State, local, and Tribal governments, local educational agencies, housing authorities, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, and other persons to develop and implement programs to assess and improve indoor air quality. Financial assistance awarded under this section shall be used to support one or more of the following: The development and implementation of educational programs, training and technical assistance programs, assessment and monitoring programs, benchmarking programs, response programs, and other activities designed to reduce human exposure to indoor air contaminants. Mitigation of health risks from indoor air contaminants due to more frequent extreme weather events and other consequences of climate change. Adoption or adaptation by State, local, and Tribal governments of indoor air quality guidelines published pursuant to section 4, or development and adoption of indoor air quality standards based on such guidelines, including development of assessment and compliance programs needed to implement such standards. The Federal share of the cost of the activities for which financial assistance is awarded under this section shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of such activities.

7. Healthy building certifications The Administrator shall provide for one or more types of voluntary certifications of buildings that are built, operated, and maintained to prevent or minimize risks to health from indoor air contaminants in an exemplary manner. For a building to be certified under this section, the owner or operator of the building— shall adhere to applicable guidelines published by the Administrator pursuant to section 4; and shall develop and maintain an indoor air quality management plan in accordance with best practices developed or approved by the Administrator. A certification process under subsection (a) may recognize actions taken by the owners and operators of existing buildings to improve indoor air quality using the most effective source control, air filtration, ventilation, and other best practices, techniques, and products. The Administrator may— carry out a certification process under subsection (a) directly; or recognize one or more certification processes under subsection (a) that are developed and administered through a third party.

8. Model provisions for building design, operation, and maintenance Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall recommend one or more model provisions for building design, operation, and maintenance for use by States and local jurisdictions in establishing and implementing building codes. The model provisions recommended under this section shall— establish minimum requirements that address ventilation, filtration, air cleaning, and design, operation, and maintenance of relevant building systems (including equipment, filtration, and controls); and address acceptable indoor air quality and may include control of infectious aerosols and indoor contaminants of concern. In accordance with section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note), the Administrator shall consider technical standards that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies in the development of recommendations under this section. In recommending model provisions under this section, the Administrator shall consult with organizations, including non-profit, professional, private sector, governmental, and labor organizations, having demonstrated expertise in building systems and indoor air quality, public health, indoor chemistry, building codes and standards, and above-code building programs. The Administrator shall consult with the Secretary of Energy to ensure that model provisions recommended under this section do not conflict with a model energy code or standard for which the Secretary has made an affirmative determination under section 304 of the Energy Conservation and Production Act, provided that such recommended model provisions may be additive and more stringent than related provisions of the model energy code or standard. The Administrator shall, not less than once every three years, review and revise (as necessary), in accordance with this section, the recommendations for model provisions developed under this section. Not less than 12 months following a recommendation for model provisions under this section, the Administrator shall determine the incremental costs and the 30-year health benefits associated with compliance with the model provisions for new single-family homes, multifamily dwelling units, and a representative set of commercial building prototypes.

9. Healthy schools The Administrator shall conduct a national assessment of indoor air quality in buildings used by local educational agencies and covered childcare facilities. The national assessment under this section, including updates thereto— shall include data and metrics, as determined appropriate by the Administrator, to track progress in, and challenges to, improving the indoor air quality in buildings used by local educational agencies and covered child care facilities; shall assess whether buildings used by local educational agencies and covered childcare facilities achieve acceptable indoor air quality by meeting minimum ventilation rate requirements and other factors as set forth by widely recognized best practices and standards, as determined appropriate by the Administrator, such as ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1–2022, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality; and may be conducted through a survey, an onsite representative sampling of buildings (accounting for geography and building size, type, and age), or other methods or combination of methods determined appropriate by the Administrator to accurately assess the condition of buildings used by local educational agencies and covered childcare facilities throughout the United States. The Administrator shall establish an advisory group to provide guidance and direction in the development of the initial national assessment under this subsection. The advisory group under subparagraph (A) shall include representatives of— school administrators, teachers, maintenance staff, and other people working in buildings described in paragraph (1), labor organizations, childcare providers, and parents and caregivers; and other interested parties, including scientific and technical experts familiar with indoor air contaminant exposures, effects, and controls. Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall conduct the initial national assessment under paragraph (1). Not less than five years following the completion of the initial national assessment under subparagraph (A), and each five years thereafter, the Administrator shall carry out an update of the previous national assessment under this subsection, accounting for— the number of schools certified pursuant to subsection (c); and changes in the guidelines, best practices, and other support published by the Administrator to improve indoor air quality. Upon completing each national assessment under this subsection, the Administrator shall— submit to the Congress a report on the results of such assessment; and include in each such report such recommendations as the Administrator determines to be appropriate for activities or programs to reduce and avoid indoor air contaminants in buildings used by local educational agencies and covered childcare facilities. The Administrator shall develop and promote guidance, best practices, technical assistance, training, outreach, and other support to improve indoor air quality in buildings used by a local educational agency or a covered childcare facility. The Administrator shall tailor guidance, best practices, technical assistance, training, outreach, and other support under paragraph (1) to the needs of— students; parents and caregivers; educators; childcare providers; maintenance staff and other employees responsible for operating and maintaining buildings referred to in paragraph (1); Indian Tribes; and low-income and disadvantaged communities. The Administrator shall ensure that at least one type of certification carried out or recognized pursuant to section 7 is applicable to buildings used by local educational agencies and covered childcare facilities. The Administrator shall coordinate with the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, to ensure that any Federal assistance made available to local educational agencies or covered childcare facilities for building construction, alteration, repair, and maintenance is consistent with any guidance and best practices developed by the Administrator under this Act.

10. Relation to other law Nothing in this Act shall be construed, interpreted, or applied to preempt, displace, or supplant any other State or Federal law, whether statutory or common, or any local ordinance. In exercising any authority under this Act, the Administrator shall not, for purposes of section 4(b)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 653(b)(1)), be considered to be exercising statutory authority to prescribe or enforce standards or regulations affecting occupational safety or health.