Picture this: You’ve finally returned home from a months-long deployment. Your dream of a much-needed family reunion turns into a nightmare when you walk in the door and are greeted not by smiling kids but by hacking coughs and hazardous living conditions. 
Home is more than four walls and a roof. It is a refuge, a space to recharge, and a place to raise a family. But at military installations across the country, thousands of service members and their families are facing a significant health threat in their homes: mold. 
Research from the <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/mold" target="_self"><ins>National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences </ins></a>shows that exposure to mold has serious health consequences. The most common is an allergic reaction, including chronic coughing, skin, eye, and throat irritation, and headaches. Worse, prolonged exposure has been shown to produce more serious conditions, such as developing asthma, increased risk of cancer due to <a href="https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/ntp/roc/content/profiles/aflatoxins.pdf" target="_self"><ins>carcinogenic mycotoxins</ins></a> found in mold, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7231651/" target="_self"><ins>cognitive impairments</ins></a> like “brain fog”, and a higher likelihood of developing mental health issues, including <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39162373/" target="_self"><ins>depression and anxiety</ins></a>. 
As it stands today, in privatized military housing, many military families continue to face unsafe living conditions. The systemic failures include inconsistent inspections, poor contractor accountability, and even the use of non-disclosure agreements to silence tenant concerns. A September 2025 DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit (Report DODIG-2025-154) found that the Military Services failed to effectively oversee maintenance by Hunt Military Communities at seven installations.
This is why With Honor endorses and advocates for the passage of the Military Occupancy Living Defense (MOLD) Act, <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7188" target="_self"><ins>H.R. 7188</ins></a> / <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3654?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Sheehy%22%7D&s=10&r=1" target="_self"><ins>S. 3654</ins></a>, led by founding <a href="https://ellzey.house.gov/2025/6/for-country-caucus-endorses-bipartisan-legislation-to-strengthen-nation-s-defense-against-anthrax-threat" target="_self"><ins>For Country Caucus</ins></a> member Rep. Jimmy Panetta alongside Reps. Gus Bilirakis and James Moylan, and Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Tim Sheehy, With Honor Action ally Joni Ernst, and Mazie Hirono. The proposed legislation would implement new, comprehensive standards for privately-contracted military housing across the Department of Defense (DoD). Key provisions include:
<ul>
<li>Establishing DoD-wide acceptable humidity level requirements.</li>
<li>Mandating third-party inspections whenever a tenant moves in or out, and in response to tenant complaints.</li>
<li>Creating a 24/7 hotline for reporting hazards and submitting complaints.</li>
<li>Introducing penalties for noncompliance, such as imposing fees or allowing tenants to retain their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).</li>
</ul>
Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office found that the MOLD Act would have no direct impact on federal spending over the 10-year budget window. This is an opportunity to greatly improve living standards for our military families, and it comes without increasing the price tag for taxpayers. 
As the House and Senate Armed Services Committees begin drafting the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the MOLD Act is ripe for inclusion in this must-pass bill. Streamlining the process for inspections, compliance, and remediation as outlined in MOLD is a necessary step towards improving the ease of life and overall health of service members and their families. 
The bill has earned significant cross-sector support, from military family advocates to the inspection and remediation industry. Alongside With Honor Action, endorsers include Blue Star Families, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Safe Military Housing Initiative, Change the Air Foundation, Military Housing Coalition, National Military Families Association, Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and the National Organization of Remediators and Microbial Inspectors (NORMI). 
As a veteran-led organization, <a href="https://withhonor.org/" target="_self"><ins>With Honor Action</ins></a> has consistently advocated for those who step forward to serve our country. The MOLD Act builds off the success of the 2023 House Armed Services <a href="https://withhonor.org/case-study/military-quality-of-life-securing-our-national-defense-by-providing-for-our-servicemembers-and-their-families/" target="_self"><ins>Military Quality of Life Panel</ins></a>. The bipartisan panel, led by For Country Caucus founding Co-Chair Representative Don Bacon and founding Vice Chair Representative Chrissy Houlahan, investigated and highlighted issues affecting our service members, including degraded military housing. The health and safety of our service members and their families is an ongoing effort, and With Honor continues to endorse bipartisan, commonsense legislation that ensures that they can thrive.

Tell Congress to Pass the MOLD Act (S.3654/H.R.7188)

As your constituent, I am writing to advocate for the passage of the Military Occupancy Living Defense (MOLD) Act, H.R. 7188 / S. 3654.

Across the nation, servicemembers proudly serve their country, yet their families often endure harmful housing conditions, with mold posing one of the most significant and pervasive health threats. Streamlining the process for inspections, compliance, and remediation would greatly improve military families' quality of life and overall health. The MOLD Act meets this urgent need for change.

The proposed legislation would implement new, comprehensive standards for privately-contracted military housing across the Department of Defense (DoD). The Act establishes DoD-wide acceptable humidity-level requirements in homes, mandates third-party inspections whenever a tenant moves in or out, or files a complaint, and provides access to hotlines to report hazards and unsafe living conditions. The Congressional Budget Office found that the MOLD Act would have no direct impact on federal spending over the 10-year budget window. This is an opportunity to greatly improve living standards for our military families, and it comes without increasing the price tag for taxpayers.

Please consider supporting the MOLD Act for passage- a critical step in ensuring an adequate quality of life for our servicemembers and their families.