GAO review of indoor air quality in Federal buildings

(a)

Review required

The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a comprehensive review of indoor air quality (in this section referred to as IAQ), ventilation, and heating, and air conditioning (in this section referred to as HVAC) performance conditions across all Federal buildings, facilities, structures, installations, and real property owned, operated, or maintained by any department or agency of the Federal Government. (b)

Scope

(1)

In general

The review shall evaluate the extent to which departments and agencies ensure that Federal facilities meet applicable IAQ, ventilation, and HVAC performance standards throughout the design, construction, renovation, commissioning, operation, and occupancy of such facilities. (2)

Standards

For purposes of this section, applicable IAQ, ventilation, and HVAC performance and design standards shall include, at a minimum, standards and guidelines published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, including ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1–2025 (Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality) and ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55–2023 (Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy), applicable editions of the International Mechanical Code (IMC) with local amendments, standards established under personnel certification programs accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 by the ANSI National Accreditation Board, including testing, adjusting, and balancing and fire and smoke damper and smoke control systems personnel certification programs administered by the International Certification Board, and any standards or guidelines adopted pursuant to regulations promulgated under part 102–80 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulations, governing safety and environmental management of Federal facilities. (c)

Elements

The review shall include an assessment of— (1)policies and procedures used by departments and agencies to monitor, test, and document IAQ in newly constructed, renovated, or existing Federal facilities; (2)the frequency, nature, and causes of IAQ related deficiencies identified through inspections, post occupancy evaluations, or other oversight mechanisms; (3)the effectiveness of existing oversight, compliance, and remediation mechanisms in identifying, addressing, and preventing IAQ hazards or HVAC performance failures across all Federal buildings and real property portfolios; and (4) the qualifications and credentials of contractors and workers performing HVAC installation, testing, adjusting and balancing, commissioning, fire and smoke damper and smoke control systems work, maintenance, and remediation in Federal facilities, including the extent to which departments and agencies require or verify that such contractors and workers hold personnel certifications administered under programs accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 by the ANSI National Accreditation Board, and the extent to which such work is performed by workers enrolled in or who have completed a registered apprenticeship program, as that term is defined under the Act of August 16, 1937 (29 U.S.C. 50 et seq., commonly referred to as the National Apprenticeship Act). (d)

Report

Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report containing the findings of the review required under subsection (a), together with any recommendations for legislative or administrative action. (e)

Agency response

Not later than 6 months after the date of submission of the report under subsection (d), the head of each Federal department or agency identified in the report as having material indoor air quality deficiencies shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a corrective action plan describing the steps such department or agency will take to address such deficiencies.