Bill > HR6998

This bill, known as the "Renewed Hope Act," aims to bolster the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) capacity to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse by enhancing its hiring and operational authorities. Specifically, it mandates the hiring and training of at least 40 forensics analysts and 30 child exploitation investigators for the Victim Identification Laboratory within Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with an additional 130 forensics analysts and child exploitation investigators to support victim identification and rescue efforts across HSI offices. The bill also introduces provisions to prevent the reassignment of these newly created positions or the employees filling them without their consent, and allows DHS to contract with experts for temporary forensic analysis services related to victim identification. Furthermore, it requires improved coordination between different DHS components and with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to synchronize investigations, and establishes a Victim Identification Training Program within the Cyber Crimes Center to train various law enforcement and civil society personnel on the latest victim identification techniques. Crucially, the bill grants HSI direct hire authority for these specialized positions, allowing them to bypass certain standard hiring procedures to fill roles more quickly, provided that at least 97% of these positions are not already filled. Finally, it strengthens privacy protections for victims by requiring secure handling and limited disclosure of their identifying information, restricting its use to investigations, victim support services, and mandatory reporting.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6998/all-info