Biden signs bill that will provide better medical care for victims of mysterious ‘Havana syndrome’

The legislation requires the CIA and the State Department to create regulations “detailing fair and equitable criteria for payment” to victims with traumatic brain injuries. It also requires reports to Congress on how agencies are using their new funding authorizations, including the number of employees and dependents who have received payments.

His signing comes as cases continue to rise around the world, including a recent incident that sickened a senior staff member of CIA Director Bill Burns while on a trip to India. The intelligence community has yet to reach a consensus on who is behind the incidents, more than 200 of which have been reported worldwide, according to Burns.

One working theory is that Russia is behind at least some of the incidents, using some form of microwave or directed energy device, but US officials have yet to make a formal attribution. . But the episodes were severe enough in some cases to force early retirement and cause traumatic brain damage to victims.

Some victims and former CIA and State Department officers have publicly stated that the skepticism of some senior career officials – particularly under former CIA Director Gina Haspel – has made it difficult for them to obtain proper care .

CIA Inspector General examines agency treatment of officers who said they experienced the mysterious constellation of symptoms, officially known to the government as “abnormal health incidents,” CNN reported this summer .

Until recently, victims were denied medical treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health, forcing them to meddle with a series of private sector doctors to try to find a diagnosis – and a relief – for their symptoms. An official with first-hand knowledge of the incidents previously told CNN that victims who reported symptoms were being treated as if they were “crazy.”

Members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committee and some victims say there has been a marked difference in the handling of cases – and the investigation of their case – since Burns was confirmed earlier this year. Burns has publicly committed to solving the mystery during his confirmation hearing and meets with victims and receives daily information on the matter.

But the cause of these episodes remains a subject of debate and investigation. Victims and some lawmakers are still seeking accountability for the agency’s alleged failures under Haspel to deal with victims.

The Senate first passed the bill – put forward by Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins – in early June, but procedural battles delayed its passage for months in the House.

The difficulty of diagnosing individual cases of Havana Syndrome also remained a difficult exercise for the CIA. Because the range of symptoms reported by victims is so inconsistent, and because intelligence and military officials still struggle to understand what technology is at work, diagnosing cases remains an inaccurate science – frustrating some victims.

“We are using all resources of the US government to provide first-class medical care to those affected and shed light on these incidents, including determining the cause and who is responsible,” Biden said in the statement. .

This story has been updated with additional reports and information.