Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) has introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation improving privatized housing for military families.
Rep. Bilirakis's Military Occupancy Living Defense (MOLD) Act addresses the prevalence of mold, including toxic black mold, in military-provided housing on and around bases across the country.
The bill ensures mandated independent inspections, improvements to enforceable health and safety regulations, and more transparent, in-depth reporting on water, humidity, and mold issues in housing.
"Our servicemembers and their families should never have to choose between serving their country and living in safe, healthy homes," Rep. Bilirakis said in a press release announcing the bill. "Military families at MacDill and across the country have faced unsafe housing conditions, including mold and other hazards, with far too little accountability."
The Florida Republican explained that the bill "corrects those failures by setting enforceable standards, requiring independent inspections, and increasing transparency. It's about accountability, dignity, and keeping our promise to military families-no one who serves our nation should be forced to worry about their family living in unhealthy conditions."
Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and James Moylan (R-GU) joined Rep. Bilirakis in introducing the bill. The Senate companion bill has been introduced by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).
In a December interview with The Floridian, Bilirakis called military housing one of the most pressing issues for servicemembers, as "those houses are old, and they have mold." "I think we need to take a look at housing on all of the bases, because they are all having these different problems," Bilirakis added. "A lot of it is environmental, the weather situation, but a lot of it is old."
According to his press release for the MOLD Act, approximately 700,000 servicemembers and their families are living in houses contaminated with mold. He noted last December that some of those houses were built shortly after the Second World War.
