Collins cosponsors bipartisan bill to support victims of directed energy attacks

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) recently cosponsored a bipartisan bill to strengthen federal interagency coordination and create a whole-of-government response that prioritizes victims of suspected directed energy attacks, which are ranged weapons that damage targets with highly focused energy, including lasers, microwaves, particle beams, and sound beams.

Sen. Collins on Aug. 3 introduced the Directed Energy Threat Emergency Response Act, S. 2590, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to reform how the United States government investigates and responds to directed energy attacks, which cause symptoms commonly referred to as Havana Syndrome, and would improve access to care for victims, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers’ office.

Specifically, the bill would authorize $45 million to support such response efforts through the U.S. Department of Defense, with $30 million of that total to be used to improve care for impacted individuals.

“The injuries that many victims of probable directed energy attacks have endured are significant and life-altering,” Sen. Collins said on Sept. 17. “I have talked with many of these victims about the debilitating symptoms they have experienced. While they are focusing on their health, they should not have to battle the bureaucracy in order to receive the support they deserve.”

If enacted, S. 2590 also would require the president to designate a senior national security official to organize a whole-of-government response and direct the heads of agencies involved in the interagency response to designate a senior official to be responsible for their agency’s response, according to the summary.

Additionally, S. 2590 would create workforce guidance to increase awareness of these attacks and strengthen avenues for reporting symptoms, and would establish a secure, interagency mechanism for personnel across all agencies to self-report suspected exposure and improve access to care, the summary says.