An Overview Assessment on H.R. 2746

An Overview Assessment on H.R. 2746

The Fix Moldy Housing Act: A Long Overdue Federal Remedy for a Silent Destroyer

Note from the Author: Please connect with me before you read this righteous call to action. I want you to do me a favor, many of you may notice it… some if blessed, will not. If not, I want you to connect with someone who may... so that you are informed and aware. Now- connect with me, look up at your ceilings… in your workplace primarily, in your school primarily… look up at the ceilings and tell me if you see anything that looks like this:  

This my dear reader is one sample of mold overgrowth. This represents a mycotoxin smaller than dust that we are inhaling. A toxin that grows in infrastructure that has not received the correct level of remediation… or quite honestly: DEMOLITION. We live and work in our communities ensuring that our blood, sweat and tears are honoring our purpose: to be nation builders and the very nation we are sacrificing to build provides a hostile and toxic environment that is slowly destroying the body. There is something inherently wrong here. We spend at least 40 hours a week at minimum – not to discuss residential living environments- some spend more than 40 hours a week. How can we spend the majority of our time in a place with poisonous air?

INTRODUCTION:

During the 119th General Assembly, Congress welcomed the introduction of Representative Haley Stevens, a Democrat representing the 11th District of Missouri. The Energy and Commerce Committee sponsored the introduction of the Fix Moldy Housing Act, a bill that, beneath its seemingly modest title, addresses one of the most pervasive and underestimated public health hazards of our time: mold toxicity inhalation.

When the public begins to not only comprehend but internalize how insidiously widespread mold toxicity has become in our daily lives, there will be an inevitable outcry, first of agitation and disdain, then of fear, panic, and justifiable anger.

H.R. 2746 represents a crucial step toward establishing federal oversight and assisting State and Tribal governments in properly assessing and remediating mold contamination. Several sections of the bill appeal directly to the public and deserve our close attention, as they mark long overdue federal efforts to standardize mold assessment and remediation procedures across the nation.

This legislation proposes federal support for research to determine the conditions under which mold assessment and remediation are warranted. It outlines standardized procedures for identifying and safely addressing indoor mold contamination. The bill directs that this study be conducted at the State and Tribal levels, after which the Administrator will submit a comprehensive report to Congress.

Additionally, within two years of enactment, the Administrator, working with relevant federal agencies, must issue nonbinding national standards identifying levels of mold that require remediation and outlining the proper assessment and remediation processes. Another major provision establishes a federal grant program to assist State and Tribal governments in creating licensing programs for professionals who assess and remediate mold. Priority will be given to jurisdictions located in geographic areas highly susceptible to indoor mold contamination.

I. The Problem: Mold Mundialization

I use the term mold mundialization to emphasize how society has normalized and even trivialized something profoundly harmful. I do not fault individuals for accepting the status quo, as many are focused on feeding their families, paying rent, or caring for loved ones. Others have become so accustomed to poor indoor conditions that they see this hidden destroyer as a tolerable new normal.

As someone living with a moldy allergy, I have often fallen ill in environments contaminated with mold. Yet, in hindsight, that sensitivity became a blessing as it revealed a truth many cannot perceive. Most people simply cannot distinguish between clean air and air laced with toxic spores. This realization breaks my heart, especially when I think of the children growing up in such environments, unknowingly normalizing the harm.

Consider this: in 2000, the prevalence of autism among eight-year-olds was 1 in 150. By 2022, that number had risen to 1 in 31, a nearly fivefold increase. ¹ I am not assigning blame to any single cause, but such trends compel us to question the environments in which we live. Even with the healthiest diet and lifestyle, we cannot overlook what we inhale daily.

If left unaddressed, this issue will only grow in scope and severity. As our infrastructure continues to age, including our schools, hospitals, convention centers, and housing, public scrutiny will intensify. When we witness other nations producing the next generation of innovators in science, technology, and medicine, we will be forced to confront hard questions about the health of our own environments and the well-being of our people.

II. Published Mechanisms of Action of Major Mold Mycotoxins

My goal is not to incite fear but awareness. If the next generation of American leaders is being shaped today, then it is our moral obligation to recognize and address this silent destroyer.

Decades ago, the dangers of excessive sugar consumption were once ignored until persistent advocacy brought the issue to national attention, even reaching the platforms of First Ladies. Today, we face a similar reckoning with mold exposure. While we focus on international threats and global crises, our children attend schools and live in homes riddled with structural decay, breathing in toxins daily.

The medical community has documented the biological mechanisms by which mold harms the human body. Mold releases mycotoxins, microscopic, invisible particles smaller than dust. When one area of a building becomes contaminated, spores can easily spread through ventilation systems, contaminating the entire structure. Once inhaled, these toxins settle in the body and initiate biological damage.

One particularly harmful mycotoxin is Aflatoxin B₁, which becomes activated in the liver through interaction with a protein known as CYP450.³ This process alters DNA by replacing a guanine base with thymine, triggering oxidative stress, cell cycle disruption, and hepatocarcinogenesis, the uncontrolled proliferation of liver cells leading to hepatocellular carcinoma, a common form of liver cancer.

Another major mycotoxin, Ochratoxin A, primarily targets the kidneys. It attacks the proximal tubules, acting as a nephrotoxin that interferes with RNA synthesis. The result is oxidative stress, DNA damage, and cell death (apoptosis) as healthy kidney tissue is destroyed.⁴ The long-term epigenetic effects remain under investigation, but evidence already shows devastating biological consequences.

This is not theoretical. It is scientific. And it is happening now in our homes, schools, and workplaces.

The Long-Term Consequences of Mold Exposure and the Urgent Need for Federal Action

The impact of mold exposure on the kidneys can cause fatal long-term effects, as the kidneys play a critical role in regulating blood pressure. Many forms of hypertension are treated through interventions that directly involve kidney function.

Medical journals and public health communications have shared extensive information regarding the deleterious and long-term consequences of mold exposure and inhalation. Mold and mycotoxin inhalation have been extensively studied for their role in respiratory diseases. Research indicates that exposure to mold, particularly in damp indoor environments, triggers immune responses that impair respiratory ciliary function and increase susceptibility to infections.⁵

Indoor dampness and mold exposure are consistently associated with health risks, including asthma and allergic conditions.

These exposures can increase the likelihood of long-term disability by 30 to 50 percent. The combination of mycotoxins, mold spores, and bacterial components leads to long-term and often irreversible inflammation, oxidative and cellular stress, and recurrent activation of immune responses. Treatment approaches include avoidance of further exposure, routine use of antioxidants, antifungal agents, and supportive therapies.⁶

This is not a time to trivialize these findings. As a nation, we deserve to live, work, and convene in healthy environments. Consider the reality that most people spend 40 to 60 hours per week at work. Are we truly working in environments that protect us, or are we slowly exposing ourselves to toxins that compromise our health and longevity?

III. Mold: The Silent Toxicity

Several confounding factors indicate a clear causal relationship between mold exposure and detrimental long-term health outcomes. Children are particularly vulnerable, and early exposure often leads to academic decline, mental health disturbances, metabolic syndrome, and poor overall wellness.

Unfortunately, a lack of strategic funding and bipartisan commitment to addressing mold toxicity has left many children and adults without adequate protection. 

Even when controlling for external variables such as population, age, gender, and general environment, mold-related health effects remain significant. Research consistently demonstrates that these adverse outcomes are directly attributable to mold exposure, independent of other disease-causing factors.¹³

Reports from diverse geographic regions confirm these findings. The universality of mold’s harmful effects underscores the urgent need for national intervention. Academic studies in both medical and psychological fields demonstrate the reproducibility of mold’s impact on quality of life. Adults working or living in mold-contaminated buildings often experience irritability, emotional lability, cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and other forms of chronic stress.

For families, the stakes are personal. Watching a loved one decline in health while striving to maintain their livelihood and care for children or grandchildren is devastating. Many vulnerable civilians, constrained by financial limitations, continue to endure toxic environments simply to survive.

The repercussions of unaddressed mold exposure extend beyond individual health. Historical examples, such as the workforce trials of the 1970s, show that workers unknowingly inhaled toxins in seemingly safe environments. Over time, these exposures contributed to the rise of rare cancers, including mesothelioma. The consequences were not limited to individuals; they became regional and eventually national concerns.

Even critical government infrastructure is not immune. In 2025, the newly appointed FBI Director mandated the evacuation of the legacy Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., citing decay, structural failure, and significant mold contamination. This building, constructed in 1923, posed a potential exposure risk to federal agents tasked with protecting national security. Plans to relocate to the Ronald Reagan Building aim to enhance operational efficiency and ensure the safety of personnel.

IV. A Call to Action

All is not lost, but action must be taken to protect the health of those we love and the workforce upon which our nation depends. The Fix Moldy Housing Act represents a critical step toward federal oversight of a national problem. Mold contamination, exacerbated by climate change, disproportionately impacts southeastern and southwestern states, especially during hurricane season and the subsequent summer months.

Public officials, law enforcement officers, children, seniors, and civilians all spend time in buildings that may be contaminated with mold. These structures, particularly federal and city buildings, are part of the nation’s critical infrastructure. When the air in these facilities is toxic, it poses risks to metabolic and mental health, operational efficiency, and national security. Many of these facilities house sensitive intelligence, high-clearance operations, and evidence. Structural and environmental vulnerabilities can create cascading failures, disrupt interagency coordination, and compromise the continuity of government.

The Fix Moldy Housing Act is only the beginning. It reflects incremental progress toward a national conversation on safe and healthy environments. We must examine our most vulnerable infrastructure and ask difficult questions.

As we maintain a presence in allied nations around the world, we must also ensure that the next generation of Americans inherits the health, strength, and resilience necessary to lead. To accomplish this, we cannot ignore the silent but pervasive threat of mold toxicity within our own borders. Our workforce, our families, and the continuity of public service depend on it.

Policy Recommendation 1: Federal, State, and City Tax Incentives for Mold Accommodations in Workplaces

Objective: Encourage businesses to provide reasonable accommodation for employees affected by mold exposure.

• Establish tax credits or deductions for businesses that provide structural and wellness accommodation for employees exposed to mold in the workplace.

• Covered accommodation includes: installation of air purification systems, mold remediation measures, improved ventilation, and adaptive workspaces.

• Incentivize investment in emerging therapies for employees, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, sauna and steam room treatments, peptide-based therapies, detox binders, and other evidence-supported interventions.

• Align funding eligibility with local, state, and federal building compliance standards to ensure equitable access across regions with varying exposure risk.

Policy Recommendation 2: Grant Programs for Workplace Wellness and Emerging Treatment Subsidies

Reduce financial barriers for businesses seeking to implement specialized treatments for employees impacted by mold.

• Create a federal grant program, administered in coordination with state and city agencies, to subsidize businesses providing employee access to:

  • Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)

  • Infrared or steam sauna sessions

  • Peptide-based therapy and other regenerative treatments

  • Binders and detox protocols recommended by medical professionals

• Prioritize grant awards for businesses located in high-risk mold contamination zones, including older industrial buildings, schools, hospitals, and government offices.

• Require grantees to document treatment utilization and health outcomes to inform best practices and future policy development.

Conclusion:

I fear that because we have taken such a lax approach to this problem, the political will to prioritize necessary treatments and solution-based alternatives is virtually nonexistent. I implore you to understand this: the only ones who will truly suffer from the long-term effects of constant mold inhalation are our nation-builders…. our people, our workforce. We must maintain our competitive edge during sensitive times, as international great-power tensions and conflicts intensify.

We need to clean our own homes and ensure that our side of the street is well-maintained. Time will tell, and the body does indeed keep the score. If we leave this to chance, our future will be determined by a toxin wreaking havoc within our own walls. If we do nothing, we will reap the consequences of inaction. We will see disproportionate health and developmental impacts in states most vulnerable to flooding and extreme heat.

We can either sit back and watch, or we can plan and prevent.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Autism and developmental disabilities monitoring (ADDM) network surveillance year 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/addm.html

Grosvenor, L. P., Croen, L. A., Lynch, F. L., Marafino, B. J., Maye, M., Penfold, R. B., Simon, G. E., & Ames, J. L. (2024). Autism diagnosis among US children and adults, 2011–2022. JAMA Network Open, 7(10), e2442218. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.42218

Gallagher, E. P., Kunze, K. L., Stapleton, P. L., & Eaton, D. L. (1996). The kinetics of aflatoxin B1 oxidation by human cDNA-expressed and human liver microsomal cytochromes P450 1A2 and 3A4. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 141(2), 595–606. https://doi.org/10.1006/taap.1996.0326

Hope, J. (2013). A review of the mechanism of injury and treatment approaches for illness resulting from exposure to water-damaged buildings, mold, and mycotoxins. ScientificWorldJournal, 2013, 767482. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/767482

Mendell, M. J., Mirer, A. G., Cheung, K., & Tong, M. (2011). Respiratory and allergic health effects of dampness, mold, and building-related agents: A review of the literature. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119(6), 748–756. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1002410

Kraft, S., & Koren, G. (2021). Mold, mycotoxins, and a dysregulated immune system. ScientificWorldJournal, 2021, 34830149. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/34830149

U.S. Congress. (2025). H.R. 2746—Fix Moldy Housing Act. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2746