National Defense Authorization Act Includes IICRC Mold-Remediation Standard

The ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on Dec. 18. The NDAA, a bill passed annually by Congress and signed by the President, includes a provision that directs the U.S. Secretary of Defense to develop and implement guidelines for the remediation of mold in military housing, facilities, and other properties. The guidelines must be consistent with industry standards, including the S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation.

Requirement to establish common mold remediation guidelines must be completed within 180 days after enactment of the NDAA and submitted to Secretary of Defense, Secretaries of the Military Departments, House Armed Services Committee, and Senate Armed Services Committee.

The guidelines required shall be consistent with:

1. Applicable municipal and state health and environmental standards, including state licensing for assessors and remediators.
2. Third-party industry standards, for example IICRC S520, including assessments performed both before and after remediation by independent third parties.

“This is a major step forward in protecting the health and safety of U.S. service members and their families,” said James Tole, Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) president and board chair. “By citing the S520 Standard in federal law, Congress has reinforced the importance of industry-drive, consensus-based standards.” 

ISSA and the National Organization of Remediators & Microbial Inspectors (NORMI) worked with IICRC to advocate for the inclusion of the ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard in the 2026 NDAA.

“We are very grateful to Rep. Jack Bergman and the coalition of stakeholders who advocated for the inclusion of the ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard,” said Robbie Bradshaw, IICRC director of government relations. “We have been working a long time on the issue of mold in military housing, and we believe this provision will help to ensure that our service members and their families can live and work in safe, healthy environments.”

Additionally, the 2026 NDAA aims to accelerate and reduce procedural barriers for nontraditional defense contractors or other entities that have not previously performed under a defense department contract or subcontract.