I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9523 

To provide for the hiring and training of certain personnel at the Department 

of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 

Ms. LEE of Florida (for herself, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. RUTHERFORD, and Mr. LATURNER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To provide for the hiring and training of certain personnel 

at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Renewed Hope Act 

5 of 2024’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 9523 IH

1 SEC. 2. IMAGE AUDIO FORENSICS HIRING AND TRAINING 

2 PROGRAMS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOME3 LAND SECURITY. 

4 (a) ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.—The Secretary of 

5 Homeland Security shall hire, train, and assign not fewer 

6 than— 

7 (1) 40 forensics analysts to the Victim Identi8 fication Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Inves9 tigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations; 

10 (2) 30 child exploitation investigators to the 

11 Victim Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploi12 tation Investigations Unit of Homeland Security In13 vestigations; and 

14 (3) 130 additional forensics analysts and child 

15 exploitation investigators to support identification 

16 and rescue of victims of child sexual exploitation and 

17 abuse at offices of the Special Agent in Charge of 

18 Homeland Security Investigations. 

19 (b) EMPLOYMENT OF EXPERTS AND CONSULT20 ANTS.—Section 890A of the Homeland Security Act of 

21 2002 (6 U.S.C. 473) is amended— 

22 (1) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub23 section (i); and 

24 (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol25 lowing: 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 9523 IH

1 ‘‘(g) EMPLOYMENT OF EXPERTS AND CONSULT2 ANTS.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with section 

4 3109 of title 5, United States Code, at daily rates 

5 not to exceed the equivalent rate prescribed for 

6 grade GS–15 of the General Schedule under section 

7 5332 of such title, the Secretary may procure by 

8 contract the temporary (not in excess of 1 year) or 

9 intermittent services of experts or consultants to 

10 provide image and audio forensic analysis related to 

11 victim identification to support efforts to identify, lo12 cate, and rescue children seen in abusive images and 

13 videos. 

14 ‘‘(2) PLACEMENT.—The Secretary shall pro15 mulgate guidelines for assigning or detailing partici16 pants to positions at the Center, offices of the Spe17 cial Agent in Charge, offices of the Resident Agent 

18 in Charge, and Attache ́ offices.’’. 

19 SEC. 3. DECONFLICTION OF CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION 

20 AND ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS WITHIN THE 

21 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. 

22 Section 890A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 

23 (6 U.S.C. 473) is amended by inserting after subsection 

24 (a)(2) the following: 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 9523 IH

1 ‘‘(3) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall, 

2 with the concurrence of the directors of affected 

3 agencies within the Department, establish joint pro4 cedures to deconflict, coordinate, and synchronize 

5 child sexual exploitation investigations with the Cen6 ter.’’. 

7 SEC. 4. VICTIM IDENTIFICATION TRAINING PROGRAM. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu9 rity shall establish a Victim Identification Training Pro10 gram (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Program’’) in 

11 the Cyber Crimes Center. 

12 (b) PROGRAM.—The Program shall provide training 

13 on new and advanced technology used to identify victims 

14 to— 

15 (1) Homeland Security Investigations per16 sonnel; and 

17 (2) Federal, State, local, Tribal, military, and 

18 foreign law enforcement agency personnel engaged 

19 in the investigation of child sexual exploitation and 

20 abuse within their respective jurisdictions, upon re21 quest and subject to the availability of funds. 

22 (c) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Program shall 

23 include— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 9523 IH

1 (1) annual training for a minimum of 24 

2 Homeland Security Investigations special agents and 

3 analysts focused on— 

4 (A) training on the most current tools and 

5 techniques used in victim identification; and 

6 (B) training on the capabilities of the Vic7 tim Identification Laboratory; and 

8 (2) increasing personnel knowledge on how to 

9 conduct image, audio, and video enhancements. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS