[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6998 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6998
To enhance hiring authorities at the Department of Homeland Security,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2026
Ms. Lee of Florida (for herself and Ms. Wasserman Schultz) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance hiring authorities at the Department of Homeland Security,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Renewed Hope Act''.
SEC. 2. IMAGE AUDIO FORENSICS HIRING AND TRAINING PROGRAMS AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
(a) Additional Personnel.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
hire, train, and assign not fewer than--
(1) 40 forensics analysts to the Victim Identification
Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of
Homeland Security Investigations;
(2) 30 child exploitation investigators to the Victim
Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploitation
Investigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations; and
(3) 130 additional forensics analysts and child
exploitation investigators to support identification and rescue
of victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse at Homeland
Security Investigations offices of the Special Agent in Charge.
(b) Prohibition on Reassignment of Positions.--
(1) In general.--A position created under subsection (a)
may not be reassigned to another component of the Department of
Homeland Security that is outside of the Child Exploitation
Investigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations or the
offices of the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security
Investigations, as applicable.
(2) Reassignment of employees.--An employee serving in a
position created under subsection (a) may be reassigned to
another component of the Department of Homeland Security that
is outside of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of
Homeland Security Investigations or the offices of the Special
Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations only if the
employee elects to be so reassigned.
(c) Employment of Experts and Consultants.--Section 890A of the
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 473) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (i); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
``(g) Employment of Experts and Consultants.--
``(1) In general.--In accordance with section 3109 of title
5, United States Code, at daily rates not to exceed the
equivalent rate prescribed for grade GS-15 of the General
Schedule under section 5332 of such title, the Secretary may
procure by contract the temporary (not in excess of 1 year) or
intermittent services of experts or consultants to provide
image and audio forensic analysis related to victim
identification to support efforts to identify, locate, and
rescue children seen in videos images and videos of sexual
exploitation and abuse.
``(2) Placement.--The Secretary shall promulgate guidelines
for assigning or detailing participants to positions at the
Center, offices of the Special Agent in Charge, offices of the
Resident Agent in Charge, and Attache offices.''.
SEC. 3. DECONFLICTION OF CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE
INVESTIGATIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY.
Section 890A(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C.
473(a)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
``(3) Coordination.--The Secretary shall, with the
concurrence of the directors of affected agencies within the
Department, establish joint procedures to deconflict,
coordinate, and synchronize child sexual exploitation
investigations with the Center.
``(4) NCMEC coordination.--The Center may establish joint
procedures with the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children to deconflict, coordinate, and synchronize child
sexual exploitation investigations with the Child Victim
Identification Program of the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children.''.
SEC. 4. VICTIM IDENTIFICATION TRAINING PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish
a Victim Identification Training Program (referred to in this section
as the ``Program'') in the Cyber Crimes Center.
(b) Program.--The Program shall provide training used to identify
victims of sexual exploitation and abuse to--
(1) Homeland Security Investigations personnel;
(2) Federal, State, local, Tribal, and foreign law
enforcement agency personnel engaged in the investigation of
crimes of child sexual exploitation and abuse within their
respective jurisdictions;
(3) Civil service organizations engaged in the prevention
of child sexual exploitation and the identification of abuse
victims; and
(4) The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
(c) Functions.--The functions of the Program shall include--
(1) annual training for participants focused on--
(A) training on the most current tools and
techniques used in victim identification; and
(B) training on the capabilities of the Victim
Identification Laboratory; and
(2) increasing personnel knowledge on how to conduct image,
audio, and video enhancements.
SEC. 5. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY FOR HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS.
(a) Direct Hire.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
head of Homeland Security Investigations may appoint, without
regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 (other
than sections 3303 and 3328 of such chapter) of title 5, United
States Code, qualified candidates to the positions described in
section 2(a).
(2) Limitation.--The authority under paragraph (1) shall
not be available to the head if, during any period, at least 97
percent of such positions are occupied.
(b) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of this Act and for each of the 4 following years, the head of Homeland
Security Investigations shall submit a report to the Committee on the
Judiciary and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the
House of Representatives, the Committee on the Judiciary and the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate,
and any other relevant congressional committee of jurisdiction. Each
such report shall include the following:
(1) The total number of individuals appointed by the head
under this section during the preceding year.
(2) How the direct hiring authority under this section is
being used by the head.
SEC. 6. APPLICATION.
The requirements of each of sections 2 through 4 of this Act, and
any amendment made by such sections, shall be carried out not later
than the date that is 3 years after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
SEC. 7. PRIVACY PROTECTIONS FOR VICTIMS.
(a) In General.--A covered person shall--
(1) keep all identifying information and documents
concerning a victim of child sexual exploitation or abuse in a
secure place to which only individuals working to identify and
rescue victims of child sexual exploitation or abuse have
access; and
(2) not disclose or use any information or documents
concerning a victim of child sexual exploitation or abuse other
than for the purposes of--
(A) investigating or prosecuting individuals for
crimes of child sexual exploitation or abuse;
(B) connecting victims--
(i) to licensed and trained trauma informed
medical professions; or
(ii) with Federal resources available
through the Office of Victims of Crime at the
Department of Justice;
(C) complying with any mandatory victim reporting
requirements; or
(D) sharing information with other law enforcement
personnel for the purpose of investigating or
prosecuting individuals for crimes of child sexual
exploitation or abuse.
(b) Covered Person Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered
person'' means--
(1) any Federal, State, or local law enforcement officer;
or
(2) any other personnel of the Department of Homeland
Security,
working in, employed by, or detailed to the Child Exploitation
Investigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations or to the
offices of the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security
Investigations.
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