Senate Intelligence Authorization Bill Advances with Key Provisions Authored by Senator Collins

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, announced that the Committee unanimously advanced the Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 by a 17-0 vote.  The bill authorizes funding, provides legal authorities, and enhances congressional oversight for the U.S. Intelligence Community, and includes multiple provisions authored by Senator Collins. The bill now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

 “The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 would continue to enhance the Intelligence Community’s ability to arm policy and decision makers with the necessary information and tools to defend U.S. interests against foreign adversaries,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would also improve the effectiveness of the security clearance process, and increase congressional oversight of the Intelligence Community.”

The provisions co-authored by Senator Collins address the following issues:

1. Requiring improvement to the security of our voting and election systems through cybersecurity penetration testing and accreditation, by amending the Help America Vote Act of 2002.  This provision was co-authored with Chairman Warner, and was originally introduced as the SECURE IT Act (“Strengthening and Enhancing Cybersecurity by Using Research, Education, Information, and Technology” Act) in the FY24 IAA.
2. Enhancing sanctions enforcement against terrorist and ransomware organizations, including revoking the visas of foreign nationals that endorse or espouse terrorist activity.  This provision was co-sponsored with Senators Warner and Rubio.
3. Mandating increased focus by the Intelligence Community on the growing threat to the U.S. posed by ISIS and affiliated terrorist organizations. This provision was co-sponsored with Senators Warner and Rubio.
4. Safeguarding important voluntary investments in watermarking and content authenticity by AI firms by establishing penalties for services that deliberately facilitate the removal of those voluntary protections.  This provision was co-sponsored with Chairman Warner.
5. Ensuring continued support for victims of Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) by mandating that the Intelligence Community support Department of Defense AHI medical research.  This provision was co-sponsored with Senator Gillibrand.
6. Providing additional discretion for HAVANA Act payments to victims within the CIA and other federal government agencies.  These provisions were co-sponsored with Senator Gillibrand.
7. Mandating a government-wide reporting standard for AHI victims, which will be critical to find and assess gaps in coverage. This provision was co-sponsored with Senator Gillibrand.
8. Highlighting a focus on security of our national laboratories, SSCI approved the appointment and elevation of the Director of Intelligence and Counterintelligence at the Department of Energy to a Senate-confirmed position. This provision was co-sponsored with Senators Risch, Rounds, Cotton and Cornyn.

Additional subjects of critical importance to Senator Collins which were included in this IAA were: Increasing intelligence sharing on certain opioids originating from the People’s Republic of China; requiring an assessment on the likely course of the war in Ukraine and in Israel; requiring new oversight of foreign adversaries’ investments in U.S. agricultural land; establishing an A.I. Security Center within the National Security Agency (NSA); and requiring a federal insider threat program.

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