I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9532 

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. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (for herself, Ms. LEE of Florida, and Mr. RUTHERFORD) 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’’. 


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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 computer forensics analysts to the Vic8 tim Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploi9 tation Investigations Unit of Homeland Security In10 vestigations; 

11 (2) 30 criminal analysts to the Victim Identi12 fication Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Inves13 tigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations; 

14 and 

15 (3) 130 additional computer forensics analysts 

16 and criminal analysts to support identification and 

17 rescue of victims of child sexual exploitation and 

18 abuse at offices of the Special Agent in Charge of 

19 Homeland Security Investigations. 

20 (b) EMPLOYMENT OF EXPERTS AND CONSULT21 ANTS.—Section 890A of the Homeland Security Act of 

22 2002 (6 U.S.C. 473) is amended— 

23 (1) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub24 section (i); and 

25 (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol26 lowing: 


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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. 

13 ‘‘(2) PLACEMENT.—The Secretary shall pro14 mulgate guidelines for assigning or detailing partici15 pants to positions at the Center, offices of the Spe16 cial Agent in Charge, offices of the Resident Agent 

17 in Charge, and attache ́ offices.’’. 

18 SEC. 3. DECONFLICTION OF CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION 

19 AND ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS WITHIN THE 

20 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. 

21 Section 890A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 

22 (6 U.S.C. 473) is amended by inserting after subsection 

23 (a)(2) the following: 

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

25 with the concurrence of the directors of affected 


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1 agencies within the Department, establish joint pro2 cedures to deconflict, coordinate, and synchronize 

3 child sexual exploitation investigations with the Cen4 ter.’’. 

5 SEC. 4. VICTIM IDENTIFICATION TRAINING PROGRAM. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu7 rity shall establish a Victim Identification Training Pro8 gram (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Program’’) in 

9 the Cyber Crimes Center. 

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

11 on new and advanced technology used to identify victims 

12 to— 

13 (1) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce14 ment personnel; and 

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

16 foreign law enforcement agency personnel engaged 

17 in the investigation of crimes within their respective 

18 jurisdictions, upon request and subject to the avail19 ability of funds. 

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

21 include— 

22 (1) annual training for a minimum of 24 

23 Homeland Security Investigations special agents and 

24 analysts focused on— 


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1 (A) training on the most current tools and 

2 techniques used in victim identification; and 

3 (B) training on the capabilities of the 

4 Video Identification Laboratory; and 

5 (2) increasing personnel knowledge on how to 

6 conduct audio and video enhancements. 

Æ 


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