HB 1656 — An Act promoting indoor air quality in facilities housing or serving vulnerable populations; providing for tax credits, for certification programs, for public education and for data collection; and imposing duties on the Department of Health.

PRINTER'S NO.   2015

                    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1656
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY BENHAM, MAYES, WAXMAN, SANCHEZ, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ AND
        FRANKEL, JUNE 24, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JUNE 25, 2025


                                   AN ACT
 1   Promoting indoor air quality in facilities housing or serving
 2      vulnerable populations; providing for tax credits, for
 3      certification programs, for public education and for data
 4      collection; and imposing duties on the Department of Health.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7   Section 1.   Short title.
 8      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Improving
 9   Indoor Air for Seniors and Children Act.
10   Section 2.   Definitions.
11      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13   context clearly indicates otherwise:
14      "ASHRAE."   The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and
15   Air-Conditioning Engineers.
16      "Contaminant."   A biological, chemical, physical or
17   radiological agent that pollutes or reduces the purity of indoor
18   air, including particulate matter or agents identified by the
19   Environmental Protection Agency or ASHRAE.
 1      "HVAC."     Heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
 2      "Indoor air quality."     The degree to which indoor air is free
 3   of excessive levels of contaminants injurious to human health.
 4      "Qualified air filter upgrade."      A certified installation or
 5   repair of air filters in compliance with ASHRAE Standard 241 and
 6   achieving MERV 13 or higher.
 7      "Qualified HVAC upgrade."     Installation or repair of HVAC
 8   systems meeting the same standards as above.
 9      "Qualified indoor air quality assessment."     An assessment
10   meeting standards issued by ASHRAE and the Department of Health.
11      "Qualifying property."     A commercial or public property
12   primarily used to house, treat or educate seniors 65 years of
13   age or older or children under 18 years of age, including
14   schools, day cares, senior living facilities and nursing homes.
15   Section 3.     Legislative intent.
16      The General Assembly finds and declares that improving indoor
17   air quality in facilities serving seniors and children is
18   critical to public health. It is the policy of this Commonwealth
19   to promote safe indoor environments through scientifically
20   grounded standards and equitable public investment.
21   Section 4.     Indoor air quality.
22      (a)   Tax credit.--A taxpayer shall be allowed a nonrefundable
23   tax credit against the personal income tax or corporate net
24   income tax for expenditures incurred in the taxable year related
25   to indoor air quality improvements in qualifying properties.
26      (b)   Amount.--The tax credit shall equal the sum of:
27            (1)   For qualified indoor air quality assessments, $1 per
28      square foot.
29            (2)   For qualified air filter upgrades, $5 per square
30      foot.

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 1            (3)   For qualified HVAC upgrades, $50 per square foot.
 2      (c)   Limitations.--The following limits shall not be
 3   exceeded:
 4            (1)   Credits for qualified HVAC upgrades or qualified air
 5      filter upgrades shall not exceed 50% of total expenditures in
 6      the taxable year.
 7            (2)   Credits for qualified indoor air quality assessments
 8      shall not exceed the amount actually paid.
 9   Section 5.     Indoor air quality certification program.
10      Within 365 days of the effective date of this section, the
11   Department of Health shall establish a voluntary certification
12   program to certify qualifying properties meeting or exceeding
13   indoor air quality standards. Certifications shall be made
14   publicly available.
15   Section 6.     Public education.
16      The Department of Health shall disseminate information
17   concerning:
18            (1)   Health effects of poor indoor air quality.
19            (2)   Locations and building types associated with risk.
20            (3)   Mitigation methods.
21            (4)   Technologies and remediation actions.
22            (5)   Protection of vulnerable subpopulations.
23   Section 7.     Public health surveillance and research.
24      The Department of Health is authorized to:
25            (1)   Collect and analyze indoor air quality related
26      health data.
27            (2)   Coordinate research on contaminants and health
28      effects.
29            (3)   Collaborate with academic and national partners.
30            (4)   Obtain de-identified data for epidemiological study,

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1      subject to applicable Federal and State privacy laws.
2   Section 8.   Effective date.
3      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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