Renewed Hope Act
Sponsored By: Representative Lee (FL)
In Committee
Summary
Boosts specialized forensic and investigative staffing to identify and rescue children in sexual exploitation materials. It would also create a victim identification training program, strengthen coordination with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and require privacy protections for victim data.
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- Families and children: Would expand HSI's victim-identification capacity by adding at least 200 specialized staff to forensic and investigative teams to speed analysis and rescue efforts.
- Law enforcement: Would give Homeland Security Investigations a direct-hire authority to fill those jobs faster, block that authority when 97 percent of such positions are filled, and require annual reports for five years on its use.
- Victims and providers: Would establish a Victim Identification Training Program for HSI, federal and state partners, Tribal and local law enforcement, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and require victim-identifying information to be stored in restricted locations and used only for investigation, services, or prosecution.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Contract forensic experts for cases
If enacted, the bill would let the Secretary procure temporary or intermittent contract experts to do image and audio forensic analysis to help identify and rescue children. Such contracts could be for up to 1 year or intermittent work. Daily pay would be capped at the equivalent of a GS-15 rate. The Secretary would also issue guidelines for assigning or detailing such experts to the Cyber Crimes Center, HSI Special Agent in Charge offices, Resident Agent in Charge offices, and attaché posts.
More Homeland Security investigators and analysts
If enacted, the bill would require hiring at least 40 forensics analysts and 30 child exploitation investigators for the Victim Identification Laboratory, plus 130 more analysts and investigators to support HSI special agent offices (200 total). The bill would bar moving those jobs out of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit or Special Agent in Charge offices unless the employee agrees. The HSI head could use direct-hire authority for these jobs unless at least 97% of them are already filled. The HSI head would also report to Congress within 1 year and in each of the next 4 years on how the direct-hire authority was used.
New rules to coordinate with NCMEC
If enacted, the bill would require the Cyber Crimes Center to set joint procedures with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to deconflict, coordinate, and synchronize child sexual exploitation investigations with NCMEC's victim identification program. The bill would also require the Secretary, with affected DHS agency directors, to set joint procedures to coordinate such investigations with the Center.
Stronger privacy rules for victim data
If enacted, the bill would require covered persons to keep all victim-identifying information in a secure location only accessible to personnel working to identify and rescue victims. The bill would allow disclosure only to investigate or prosecute crimes, to connect victims to licensed trauma-informed medical professionals or Federal victim resources at DOJ, to comply with mandatory victim reporting, or to share with other law enforcement for investigations or prosecutions. The bill defines covered persons as federal, state, or local law enforcement and DHS personnel assigned to the HSI Child Exploitation Investigations Unit or offices of the Special Agent in Charge.
Training program to find child victims
If enacted, the bill would create a Victim Identification Training Program at the Cyber Crimes Center. The program would give annual training on current tools and techniques to identify victims and on lab capabilities. It would train HSI staff, federal, state, local, Tribal, and foreign law enforcement with child-exploitation duties, prevention organizations, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Training would also cover image, audio, and video enhancement methods.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Lee (FL)
FL • R
Cosponsors
Wasserman Schultz
FL • D
Sponsored 1/9/2026
Carey
OH • R
Sponsored 1/13/2026
Davis (NC)
NC • D
Sponsored 1/13/2026
Dean (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 2/23/2026
Del. King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [R-MP-At Large]
MP • R
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Goldman (TX)
TX • R
Sponsored 3/25/2026
Flood
NE • R
Sponsored 3/25/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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