“From the descriptions that I’ve heard firsthand from some of the victims, they seemed quite purposeful, quite deliberate and very specific,” Mr. Schiff said. “And that’s suggestive of a foreign bad actor.”
But, he added, “there is still much more we don’t know about this than we do.”
The bill will ensure that the Biden administration keeps Congress informed about its investigation and will compensate victims for their injuries, Ms. Collins said.
“Far too many ‘Havana syndrome’ victims have had to battle the bureaucracy to receive care for their debilitating injuries,” she said in a statement. “For those victims, the Havana Act will ensure that they receive the financial and medical support that they deserve. It also affirms our commitment to making sure that our government finds out who is responsible.”
Some victims of the attacks said they have struggled to get the government to cover medical costs for themselves and family members. Several praised the congressional action, including Mark Lenzi, a State Department security engineering officer who was injured in China, from what some officials believe was a pulsed microwave attack.
“This legislation is crucial for those of us at the State Department injured in the line of duty who, like myself, have thousands of dollars of medical bills that the State Department has refused to pay,” Mr. Lenzi said.
Mr. Burns, the C.I.A. director, has spoken publicly about the importance of discovering the cause of the episodes and has made a priority of improving health care for affected agency officers, including increasing access to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, which has expertise in treating brain injuries. But some victims’ groups said the State Department had been slower to improve how it had handled cases.
Mr. Schiff said the legislation established criteria for treatment and compensation. It should also prod the government to standardize the reporting and classification of the episodes.