Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) today announced the reintroduction of the Airborne Act, legislation that would incentivize non-residential building owners to conduct indoor air quality (IAQ) assessments and upgrade their ventilation and air filtration systems.

“Improving the air quality of our nation’s workplaces will make workers healthier and our society as a whole more resilient in the face of public health challenges. This will also benefit employers and workers by reducing sick days, creating a cleaner and more comfortable work environment, and lessening the risk of long-term health conditions,” said Rep. Beyer. “The pandemic illustrated the dangers of airborne respiratory diseases and the importance of adequate indoor ventilation and indoor air quality, but the improved HVAC and air filtration systems necessary to improve air quality can be expensive to install and maintain. This bill would incentivize building owners to perform IAQ inspections and upgrades, which would make workers healthier and safer from future airborne disease outbreaks.”

“The Airborne Act delivers a win-win: healthier indoor environments and stronger American jobs. By pairing targeted tax incentives with prevailing wage and apprenticeship standards, this legislation drives real investment in modern air quality and HVAC infrastructure while supporting skilled workers and the next generation of the trades. I’ve long worked to advance policies that protect public health while strengthening our workforce, and this bill builds on that commitment—recognizing that safer buildings, good-paying jobs, and economic resilience go hand in hand. It’s how we improve public health and grow our workforce at the same time,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick.

"The Airborne Act reinforces the important connection between buildings and occupant health and wellbeing,” said American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) President Bill McQuade. “This legislation aligns with ASHRAE’s focus on healthy buildings and indoor environmental quality by providing important incentives for building owners and operators to assess and invest in system improvements that advance public health and improve productivity.”

“The pandemic made clear to the American people just how important it is to have clean, healthy air in our buildings. That’s why the Airborne Act of 2026 is such a crucial piece of legislation — for building owners, occupants, and union sheet metal workers. By incentivizing indoor air quality assessments and HVAC upgrades, this law helps provide cleaner air in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, offices, and other commercial buildings across our nation, helping communities stay healthy and empowering building owners to improve their ventilation systems. And importantly, buildings get a bonus for using qualified professionals. Those qualified professionals are SMART members: the skilled, trained and certified workers who will perform assessments, upgrade HVAC systems and help Americans stay safe and healthy. This bill is a win-win — and the fact that it is bipartisan speaks to that. We thank Reps. Beyer and Fitzpatrick for introducing this legislation, and we strongly encourage its passage into law.” - International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART).

Specifically, the Airborne Act would:

• Incentivize commercial building owners to conduct IAQ assessments of their properties by providing them with a $1 per square foot tax credit, not to exceed the cost of conducting the assessment.
• Incentivize commercial building owners to upgrade their HVAC and/or air filter systems to reach ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2022 or Standard 241-2023. The tax credit for air filter upgrades is equal to $5 per square foot, and $50 per square foot for HVAC system updates, limited to 50% of the total project cost. These amounts are increased to $25 and $250 per square foot for air filters and HVAC systems respectively if the work is performed in compliance with prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements found in the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Create a Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency voluntary certification program for property owners to certify that their properties are in compliance with the IAQ standards listed above.

Eligible recipients also include non-profits and for certain public properties, the credit is transferable to the appropriate private entity carrying out the upgrade.

The Airborne Act is endorsed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART). Text of the bill is available here.