WASHINGTON – After clearing the House of Representatives today, legislation to support American public servants who have incurred brain injuries likely from directed energy attacks is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act, authored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), would authorize financial support and ensure medical care for injured individuals. The Senate previously passed the HAVANA Act unanimously in June.

“U.S. personnel and their loved ones who’ve fallen victim to these directed energy attacks deserve access to the care they need to recover – full stop,” said Shaheen. “It’s unacceptable that so many public servants and their families have faced needless red tape in securing the medical attention they need to get well. The HAVANA Act is commonsense, bipartisan legislation that will help right that wrong and break down the barriers that too many Americans have faced. I’m glad to be part of the bipartisan group to deliver this legislation to the President’s desk and look forward to building on this progress in Congress to ensure our U.S. personnel can access the medical attention they need and to finally uncover the root cause of these attacks.”

The HAVANA Act will authorize the CIA Director and the Secretary of State to provide injured employees with additional financial support for brain injuries. Both the CIA and State Department will be required to create regulations detailing fair and equitable criteria for payment. This legislation will also require the CIA and State Department to report to Congress on how this authority is being used and if additional legislative or administrative action is required.

Symptoms of these directed energy attacks have included severe headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, visual and hearing problems, vertigo and cognitive difficulties, and many affected personnel continue to suffer from health problems years after the attacks. The HAVANA Act will give the CIA Director, the Secretary of State and other agency heads additional authority to provide financial assistance to those suffering from brain injuries as a result of these attacks.

Shaheen, Collins, Warner and Rubio’s bill was co-sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Burr (R-NC), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Angus King (I-ME), James Risch (R-ID), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH)

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