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. RUTHER-
FORD, and Mr. LATURNER) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Renewed Hope Act 
of 2024’’. 
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SEC. 2. IMAGE AUDIO FORENSICS HIRING AND TRAINING 
PROGRAMS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOME-
LAND SECURITY. 
(a) ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.—The Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall hire, train, and assign not fewer 
than— 
(1) 40 forensics analysts to the Victim Identi-
fication Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Inves-
tigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations; 
(2) 30 child exploitation investigators to the 
Victim Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploi-
tation Investigations Unit of Homeland Security In-
vestigations; and 
(3) 130 additional forensics analysts and child 
exploitation investigators to support identification 
and rescue of victims of child sexual exploitation and 
abuse at offices of the Special Agent in Charge of 
Homeland Security Investigations. 
(b) EMPLOYMENT
OF
EXPERTS
AND
CONSULT-
ANTS.—Section 890A of the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 (6 U.S.C. 473) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub-
section (i); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘(g) EMPLOYMENT
OF EXPERTS
AND CONSULT-
ANTS.— 
‘‘(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, lo-
cate, and rescue children seen in abusive images and 
videos. 
‘‘(2) PLACEMENT.—The Secretary shall pro-
mulgate guidelines for assigning or detailing partici-
pants to positions at the Center, offices of the Spe-
cial 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 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(6 U.S.C. 473) is amended by inserting after subsection 
(a)(2) the following: 
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‘‘(3) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall, 
with the concurrence of the directors of affected 
agencies within the Department, establish joint pro-
cedures to deconflict, coordinate, and synchronize 
child sexual exploitation investigations with the Cen-
ter.’’. 
SEC. 4. VICTIM IDENTIFICATION TRAINING PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity shall establish a Victim Identification Training Pro-
gram (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Program’’) in 
the Cyber Crimes Center. 
(b) PROGRAM.—The Program shall provide training 
on new and advanced technology used to identify victims 
to— 
(1) Homeland Security Investigations per-
sonnel; and 
(2) Federal, State, local, Tribal, military, and 
foreign law enforcement agency personnel engaged 
in the investigation of child sexual exploitation and 
abuse within their respective jurisdictions, upon re-
quest and subject to the availability of funds. 
(c) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Program shall 
include— 
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(1) annual training for a minimum of 24 
Homeland Security Investigations special agents and 
analysts focused on— 
(A) training on the most current tools and 
techniques used in victim identification; and 
(B) training on the capabilities of the Vic-
tim Identification Laboratory; and 
(2) increasing personnel knowledge on how to 
conduct image, audio, and video enhancements. 
Æ 
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