WASHINGTON — In a statement earlier today, Director Everett Hicks of Homeland Security reported that researchers have developed a rapid and accurate test for identification of the Evolved. Production hurdles will keep the test from being widely instituted for some time, but Hicks said that overcoming these obstacles is one of their top priorities. The kits that have been produced so far are slated for shipment to Boston, Miami, New York, and Washington D.C. for the testing of federal employees in accordance with the Linderman Act. Federal employees in other major cities are next in line to receive tests; after that objective is met, test kits will be made available to the general public. The projected public release date for the test is late spring or early summer.
When asked what people who hadn't registered could expect from the testing, Hicks replied, "We understand that people are concerned and afraid. We want only to ensure the safety of the American public. There will be no penalty for employees identified as Evolved at this time, but anyone who tries to circumvent or falsify the test will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
The text of the Linderman Act dictates severe fines and jail time for offenders, and permanent incarceration for anyone whose power poses an 'intolerable level of threat' to those around them. Supporters of the Linderman Act hold up the Manhattan Explosion as a textbook example of why incarceration in a specially-designed holding facility is necessary for such cases; "We wouldn't let John Smith wander around with a primed atom-bomb in his backpack," Hicks said in an interview after the Act was passed. "The same guidelines apply here."