,i #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ebfc ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #ad1 #bjba ,ms4 ,spanberger 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 ,mr4 ,waltz1 ,mr4 ,katko1 ,mr4 ,kim of ,new ,jersey1 ,ms4 ,slotkin1 and ,mr4 ,gonzalez of ,ohio7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,foreign ,affairs1 ,oversight and ,reform1 and ,energy and ,commerce1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to designate an ,anomalous ,health ,incidents ,interagency ,coordinator to coordinate the interagency investigation of1 and response to1 suspected attacks presenting as anomalous health incidents1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,directed ,energy ,threat ,emergency ,response ,act4 #b4 ,findings2 sense of ,congress 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,since at least #bjaf1 ,united ,states ,government personnel and their family members have reported anomalous health incidents at diplomatic missions across the world and in the ,united ,states1 which are sometimes referred to as ,havana ,syndrome4 7#b7 ,some of the anomalous health incidents have resulted in unexplained brain injuries1 which have had permanent1 life-altering effects that have disrupted lives and ended careers4 7#c7 ,a panel of experts convened by the ,bureau of ,medical ,services of the ,department of ,state in ,july #bjag to review triage assessments of medically evaluated personnel from the ,united ,states ,embassy in ,havana came to a consensus that the findings were most likely related to neurotrauma from a nonnatural source4 7#d7 ,a #bjbj report by the ,national ,academy of ,sciences found that many of the distinctive and acute signs1 symptoms1 and observations reported by affected employees are consistent with the effects of directed1 pulsed radio frequency 7,,rf7 energy and that directed pulsed ,,rf energy 444 appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining these cases4 7#e7 ,according to the ,national ,academy of ,sciences report1 such a scenario raises grave concerns about a world with disinhibited malevolent actors and new tools for causing harm to others4 7#f7 ,the number and locations of these suspected attacks have expanded and1 according to press reporting1 there have been more than #acj possible cases that have been reported by ,united ,states personnel in ,asia1 in ,europe1 and in the ,western ,hemisphere1 including within the ,united ,states4 7#g7 ,the continuing and expanding scope of these suspected attacks is impacting the security and morale of ,united ,states personnel1 especially those posted overseas4 7#h7 ,the ,convention on the ,prevention and ,punishment of ,crimes against ,internationally ,protected ,persons 7including diplomatic agents7 to which #ahj countries are a party1 protects diplomatic personnel from attacks on their persons1 accommodations1 or means of transport1 and requires all state parties to punish and take measures to prevent such grave crimes4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the threat to ,united ,states ,government personnel from suspected attacks presenting as anomalous health incidents is a matter of urgent concern and deserving of the full attention of government2 7#b7 personnel1 dependents1 and other appropriate individuals suffering anomalous health incidents from these suspected attacks deserve equitable1 accessible1 and high-quality medical assessment and care1 regardless of their employing ,government agency2 7#c7 diagnoses and determinations to treat personnel1 dependents1 and other appropriate individuals experiencing symptoms consistent with such injuries should be made by experienced medical professionals and made available by the ,federal ,government2 7#d7 any recriminations1 retaliation1 or punishment associated with personnel self-reporting symptoms is unacceptable and should be investigated by internal agency oversight mechanisms2 7#e7 information sharing and interagency coordination is essential for the comprehensive investigation1 attribution1 and mitigation of these injuries2 7#f7 the ,administration should provide ,congress and the public with timely and regular unclassified updates on the threat posed to ,united ,states ,government personnel by the suspected causes of these injuries2 7#g7 recent efforts by the ,administration and among relevant agencies represent positive steps toward responding to the threat of anomalous health incidents1 but more comprehensive measures must be taken to further assist victims1 investigate and determine the cause of the injuries of such victims1 and prevent future incidents2 7#h7 establishing the source and cause of these anomalous health incidents must be a top priority for the ,united ,states ,government and requires the full coordination of relevant agencies2 7#i7 if investigations determine that the anomalous health incidents are the result of deliberate acts by individuals1 entities1 or foreign countries1 the ,united ,states ,government should recognize and respond to these incidents as hostile attacks2 and 7#aj7 any actors found to have been targeting ,united ,states ,government personnel should be publicly identified1 as appropriate1 and held accountable4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 to detect1 deter1 and punish any clandestine attacks that cause persistent injuries to ,united ,states personnel2 7#b7 to provide appropriate assistance to ,united ,states personnel harmed by such attacks2 7#c7 to hold responsible any persons1 entities1 or governments involved in ordering or carrying out such attacks1 including through appropriate sanctions1 criminal prosecutions1 or other tools2 7#d7 to prioritize research into effective countermeasures to help protect ,united ,states personnel from such attacks2 and 7#e7 to convey to foreign governments through official contact at the highest levels the gravity of ,united ,states concern about such suspected attacks and the seriousness of consequences that may follow for any actors found to be involved4 #d4 ,anomalous ,health ,incidents ,interagency ,coordinator 7a7 ,designation ,not later than #cj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,president shall designate-- 7#a7 an appropriate senior official to be known as the ,anomalous ,health ,incidents ,interagency ,coordinator2 and 7#b7 an appropriate senior official in the ,white ,house ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy to be known as the ,deputy ,anomalous ,health ,incidents ,interagency ,coordinator4 7b7 ,duties ,the ,interagency ,coordinator shall work through the ,president's designated ,national ,security process-- 7#a7 to coordinate the response of the ,united ,states ,government to anomalous health incidents2 7#b7 to coordinate among relevant agencies to ensure equitable and timely access to assessment and care for affected personnel1 dependents1 and other appropriate individuals2 7#c7 to ensure adequate training and education for ,united ,states ,government personnel2 7#d7 to ensure that information regarding anomalous health incidents is efficiently shared across relevant agencies in a manner that provides appropriate protections for classified1 sensitive1 and personal information2 7#e7 to coordinate through the ,white ,house ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy1 and across the science and technology enterprise of the ,government1 the technological and research efforts of the ,government to address suspected attacks presenting as anomalous health incidents2 and 7#f7 to develop policy options to prevent1 mitigate1 and deter suspected attacks presenting as anomalous health incidents4 7c7 ,designation of ,agency ,coordination ,leads 7#a7 ,in general ,the head of each relevant agency shall designate a ,senate-confirmed or other appropriate senior official1 who shall-- 7,a7 serve as the ,anomalous ,health ,incident ,agency ,coordination ,lead for the relevant agency2 7,b7 report directly to the head of the relevant agency regarding activities carried out under this ,act2 7,c7 perform functions specific to the relevant agency1 consistent with the directives of the ,interagency ,coordinator and the established interagency process2 7,d7 participate in interagency briefings to ,congress regarding the response of the ,united ,states ,government to anomalous health incidents2 and 7,e7 represent the relevant agency in meetings convened by the ,interagency ,coordinator4 7#b7 ,delegation prohibited ,an ,agency ,coordination ,lead may not delegate the responsibilities described in subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,c7 of paragraph 7#a74 7d7 ,secure reporting mechanisms ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,interagency ,coordinator shall-- 7#a7 ensure that each relevant agency develops a process to provide a secure mechanism for personnel1 their dependents1 and other appropriate individuals to self-report any suspected exposure that could be an anomalous health incident2 7#b7 ensure that each relevant agency shares all relevant data in a timely manner with the ,office of the ,director of ,national ,intelligence1 and other relevant agencies1 through existing processes coordinated by the ,interagency ,coordinator2 and 7#c7 in establishing the mechanism described in paragraph 7#a71 prioritize secure information collection and handling processes to protect classified1 sensitive1 and personal information4 7e7 ,briefings 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #fj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and quarterly thereafter for the following #b years1 the ,interagency ,coordinator1 the ,deputy ,coordinator1 and the ,agency ,coordination ,leads shall jointly provide a briefing to the appropriate national security committees regarding progress in carrying out the duties under subsection 7b71 including the requirements under paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,elements ,the briefings required under paragraph 7#a7 shall include-- 7,a7 an update on the investigation into anomalous health incidents impacting ,united ,states ,government personnel and their family members1 including technical causation and suspected perpetrators2 7,b7 an update on new or persistent incidents2 7,c7 threat prevention and mitigation efforts to include personnel training2 7,d7 changes to operating posture due to anomalous health threats2 7,e7 an update on diagnosis and treatment efforts for affected individuals1 including patient numbers and wait times to access care2 7,f7 efforts to improve and encourage reporting of incidents2 7,g7 detailed roles and responsibilities of ,agency ,coordination ,leads2 7,h7 information regarding additional authorities or resources needed to support the interagency response2 and 7,i7 other matters that the ,interagency ,coordinator or the ,agency ,coordination ,leads consider appropriate4 7#c7 ,unclassified briefing summary ,the ,agency ,coordination ,leads shall provide a coordinated1 unclassified summary of the briefings to ,congress1 which shall include as much information as practicable without revealing classified information or information that is likely to identify an individual4 7f7 ,retention of authority ,the appointment of the ,interagency ,coordinator shall not deprive any ,federal agency of any authority to independently perform its authorized functions4 7g7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section may be construed to limit-- 7#a7 the ,president's authority under article ,,ii of the ,united ,states ,constitution2 or 7#b7 the provision of health care and benefits to afflicted individuals1 consistent with existing laws4 #e4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated-- 7#a7 to the ,secretary of ,defense #de1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbb1 of which-- 7,a7 #cj1jjj1jjj shall be used-- 7i7 to develop the necessary medical capacity to provide health assessments and appropriate care to ,united ,states ,government personnel1 dependents1 and other appropriate individuals who have symptoms associated with anomalous health incidents2 7ii7 to develop additional capability and capacity in the military healthcare system to provide assessment and timely care to affected ,united ,states ,government personnel1 dependents1 and other appropriate individuals2 and 7iii7 to fund the assessment and care of civilian employees of the ,department of ,defense and other ,department of ,defense-affiliated non-beneficiaries1 if such funding is not otherwise available2 and 7,b7 the remaining #ae1jjj1jjj shall be used to support-- 7i7 the efforts of the ,department of ,defense to investigate and characterize the cause of anomalous health incidents1 including investigations of technical causation1 medical research1 and other activities in support of attribution2 7ii7 intelligence and data analysis by the ,department of ,defense of information related to anomalous health incidents2 and 7iii7 development and implementation by the ,department of ,defense of force protection and mitigation efforts2 and 7#b7 to the ,secretary of ,state #e1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbb to be used-- 7,a7 to increase capacity and staffing for the ,health ,incident ,response ,task ,force of the ,department of ,state2 7,b7 to support the development and implementation of efforts by the ,department of ,state to prevent and mitigate anomalous health incidents affecting its workforce2 7,c7 to investigate and characterize the cause of anomalous health incidents1 including investigations of causation and attribution2 7,d7 to collect and analyze data related to anomalous health incidents2 7,e7 to coordinate with other relevant agencies and the ,national ,security ,council regarding anomalous health incidents2 and 7,f7 to support other activities to understand1 prevent1 deter1 and respond to suspected attacks presenting as anomalous health incidents1 at the discretion of the ,secretary of ,state4 #f4 ,development and dissemination of workforce guidance ,the ,president shall direct relevant agencies to develop and disseminate to employees who are at risk of exposure to anomalous health incidents1 not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 updated workforce guidance to report1 mitigate1 and address suspected attacks presenting as anomalous health incidents4 #g4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,agency coordination lead ,the term ,agency ,coordination ,lead means a senior official designated by the head of a relevant agency to serve as the ,anomalous ,health ,incident ,agency ,coordination ,lead for such agency4 7#b7 ,appropriate national security committees ,the term appropriate national security committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,armed ,services of the ,senate2 7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 7,c7 the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,senate2 7,d7 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate2 7,e7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,senate2 7,f7 the ,committee on ,armed ,services of the ,house of ,representatives2 7,g7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives2 7,h7 the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,house of ,representatives2 7,i7 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7,j7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#c7 ,deputy ,coordinator ,the term ,deputy ,coordinator means the ,deputy ,anomalous ,health ,incidents ,interagency ,coordinator in the ,white ,house ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy designated pursuant to section #d7;a74 7#d7 ,interagency coordinator ,the term ,interagency ,coordinator means the ,anomalous ,health ,incidents ,interagency ,coordinator designated pursuant to section #d7;a74 7#e7 ,relevant agencies ,the term relevant agencies means-- 7,a7 the ,department of ,defense2 7,b7 the ,department of ,state2 7,c7 the ,office of the ,director of ,national ,intelligence2 7,d7 the ,central ,intelligence ,agency2 7,e7 the ,department of ,justice2 7,f7 the ,department of ,homeland ,security2 and 7,g7 other agencies and bodies designated by the ,interagency ,coordinator4