H.R. 9886: Federal Facilities Indoor Air Quality Assessment Act

This bill would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a detailed review of indoor air quality in all federal buildings, facilities, installations, and real property owned, operated, or maintained by federal agencies.

What the review would look at

The GAO review would examine how well federal agencies are making sure their buildings meet indoor air quality, ventilation, and heating/air conditioning standards at different stages, including:

• design
• construction
• renovation
• commissioning
• operation
• occupancy

The bill says the review should consider certain standards and guidelines, including those from ASHRAE, applicable International Mechanical Code standards, certain personnel certification programs, and related federal safety and environmental management rules.

What else the review would examine

The report would also assess:

• how agencies monitor, test, and document indoor air quality in new, renovated, and existing facilities
• how often indoor air quality problems are found, what they are, and what causes them
• how effective current oversight and repair processes are at finding and fixing air quality or HVAC problems
• whether contractors and workers doing HVAC-related work have the right credentials or apprenticeship training, and whether agencies check those qualifications

Reporting and follow-up

Within 12 months after the bill becomes law, the GAO would have to send Congress a report with its findings and any recommendations for legislative or administrative changes.

If the report identifies federal departments or agencies with significant indoor air quality problems, those agencies would have to submit a corrective action plan to Congress within 6 months after the report is delivered. That plan would need to explain how they intend to address the identified deficiencies.

What the bill does not do

The bill does not itself set new air quality rules for all federal buildings or require immediate repairs. Instead, it directs a review, a report, and then corrective action plans for agencies with problems identified in that review.

Relevant Companies

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