HERO Improvements Act of 2017

Summary: HERO Improvements Act of 2017 This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide statutory authority for the Human Exploitation Rescue Operation (HERO) Child-Rescue Corps Program within the Cyber Crimes Center of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The HERO Child-Rescue Corps Program, operated in partnership with the Department of Defense and the National Association to Protect Children, must recruit, train, equip, and employ wounded, ill, and injured veterans and other members of the military to combat and prevent child exploitation.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``HERO Improvements Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. HERO ACT IMPROVEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 890A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(6 U.S.C. 473) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``Homeland 
                Security Investigations,'' after ``Enforcement,''; and
                    (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) Purpose.--The Center shall provide investigative 
        assistance, training, and equipment to support domestic and 
        international investigations of cyber-related crimes by the 
        Department.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(C), by inserting after 
                ``personnel'' the following: ``, which shall include 
                participating in training for Homeland Security 
                Investigations personnel conducted by Internet Crimes 
                Against Children Task Forces''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``in 
                        child exploitation investigations'' after 
                        ``Enforcement'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) in the matter preceding clause 
                                (i), by inserting ``in child 
                                exploitation investigations'' after 
                                ``Enforcement''; and
                                    (II) in clause (i), by inserting 
                                ``child'' before ``victims'';
                            (iii) in subparagraph (C), by inserting 
                        ``child exploitation'' after ``number of''; and
                            (iv) in subparagraph (D), by inserting 
                        ``child exploitation'' after ``number of''; and
            (3) in subsection (c)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding 
                clause (i), by inserting ``and administer the Digital 
                Forensics and Document and Media Exploitation (DF/
                DOMEX) program'' after ``forensics'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``and 
                emerging technologies'' after ``forensics''; and
                    (C) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and the 
                National Association to Protect Children'' and 
                inserting ``, the National Association to Protect 
                Children, and other governmental entities''.
    (b) HERO Child-Rescue Corps.--Section 890A of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 473) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (g); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
    ``(e) HERO Child-Rescue Corps.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--
                    ``(A) In general.--There is established within the 
                Center a Human Exploitation Rescue Operation Child-
                Rescue Corps Program (referred to in this subsection as 
                the `HERO Child-Rescue Corps Program'), which shall be 
                a Department-wide program, operated in partnership with 
                the Department of Defense and the National Association 
                to Protect Children.
                    ``(B) Training requirement.--As part of the HERO 
                Child-Rescue Corps Program, the National Association to 
                Protect Children shall provide logistical support for 
                program participants.
            ``(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the HERO Child-Rescue Corps 
        Program shall be to recruit, train, equip, and employ wounded, 
        ill, and injured veterans and transitioning members of the 
        military within the Department or other participating agencies, 
        in employment positions to assist in combating and preventing 
        child exploitation, including investigative, intelligence, 
        analyst, inspection, and forensic positions or any other 
        positions determined appropriate by the employing agency.
            ``(3) Functions.--The HERO Child-Rescue Program shall--
                    ``(A) provide, recruit, train, and equip 
                participants of the Program in the areas of digital 
                forensics, investigation, analysis, intelligence, and 
                victim identification, as determined by the Center and 
                the needs of the Department; and
                    ``(B) ensure that during the 1-year period 
                beginning on the date of enactment of this subsection, 
                participants of the Program are assigned to investigate 
                and analyze--
                            ``(i) child exploitation;
                            ``(ii) child pornography;
                            ``(iii) unidentified child victims;
                            ``(iv) human trafficking;
                            ``(v) traveling child sex offenders; and
                            ``(vi) forced child labor, including the 
                        sexual exploitation of minors.
            ``(4) Paid internship and hiring program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
                appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary may use 
                funds available for Operations and support to establish 
                a paid internship and hiring program for the purpose of 
                placing participants of the HERO Child-Rescue Corps 
                Program into paid internship positions, with the intent 
                of subsequent appointment of the participants to 
                permanent positions, as described in subparagraph (C).
                    ``(B) Internship positions.--Under the paid 
                internship and hiring program required to be 
                established under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may 
                appoint not more than 72 individuals to internship 
                positions in the Center per year--
                            ``(i) which shall be in addition to any 
                        internship or staffing positions within United 
                        States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 
                        existence on the date enactment of this 
                        subsection; and
                            ``(ii) who shall be assigned or detailed by 
                        the Center in accordance with subparagraph (C).
                    ``(C) Placement.--
                            ``(i) In general.--An individual who is 
                        appointed to an internship position under this 
                        paragraph shall be assigned or detailed to a 
                        position in an agency that--
                                    ``(I) has expressed the need to 
                                fill a vacancy;
                                    ``(II) anticipates making an 
                                appointment to a full-time position 
                                upon completion of the internship; and
                                    ``(III) accepts the training 
                                parameters as determined by the Center 
                                to be the standard of the Department 
                                for the HERO Child-Rescue Corps 
                                Program.
                            ``(ii) Preference.--The Secretary shall 
                        give a preference to Homeland Security 
                        Investigations in assignments or details under 
                        clause (i).
                    ``(D) Term of internship.--An appointment to an 
                internship position under this paragraph shall be for a 
                term not to exceed 12 months.
                    ``(E) Rate and term of pay.--After completion of 
                initial group training and upon beginning work at an 
                assigned office, an individual appointed to an 
                internship position under this paragraph who is not 
                receiving monthly basic pay as a member of the Armed 
                Forces on active duty shall receive compensation at a 
                rate that is--
                            ``(i) not less than the minimum rate of 
                        basic pay payable for a position at level GS-5 
                        of the General Schedule; and
                            ``(ii) not more than the maximum rate of 
                        basic pay payable for a position at level GS-7 
                        of the General Schedule.
                    ``(F) Eligibility.--In establishing the paid 
                internship and hiring program required under 
                subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall ensure that the 
                eligibility requirements for participation in the 
                internship program are the same as the eligibility 
                requirements for participation in the HERO Child-Rescue 
                Corps Program.
    ``(f) HERO Corps Hiring.--Subject to the availability of 
appropriations for such purpose, there are authorized to be established 
within Homeland Security Investigations the following number of 
positions, which shall be in addition to any positions in existence on 
the date of enactment of this subsection, for the hiring and permanent 
employment of graduates of the paid internship and hiring program 
required to be established under subsection (e)(4):
            ``(1) 36 positions in fiscal year 2017.
            ``(2) 72 positions in fiscal year 2018.
            ``(3) 108 positions in fiscal year 2019.
            ``(4) 144 positions in fiscal year 2020.
            ``(5) 180 positions in fiscal year 2021.''.
    (c) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--Section 302 of the HERO 
Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-22; 129 Stat. 255) is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (c); and
            (2) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (c).