U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) on Jan. 9 proposed legislation that would bolster the federal government’s ability to identify children depicted in child sexual abuse material and prosecute lawbreakers by increasing the hiring authorities of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The bipartisan Renewed Hope Act, H.R. 6998, which is cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), is slated to be marked up on Jan. 13 by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.
“The scale and severity of online child exploitation continues to grow at an alarming rate,” Rep. Lee said, noting that since 2024, the number of unidentified children depicted in sexual abuse material has risen from 57,000 to more than 89,000.
“Each number represents a child who has not yet been found, rescued, or protected,” said the congresswoman. “The Renewed Hope Act ensures that federal law enforcement has the trained professionals and resources necessary to identify these victims and stop these crimes.”
If enacted, H.R. 6998 would increase the hiring and retention of specialized victim identification personnel at DHS, expanding the capacity of law enforcement to identify and rescue children trapped in ongoing sexual exploitation, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Lee’s staff.
Specifically, H.R. 6998 calls for DHS to hire, train, and assign not fewer than 40 forensics analysts to the Victim Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations; 30 child exploitation investigators to the Victim Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations; and 130 additional forensics analysts and child exploitation investigators to support identification and rescue of victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse at Homeland Security Investigations offices of the Special Agent in Charge.
“Children must be protected from the staggering rise in digital predators who seek to exploit them,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “That means expanding efforts to identify and support these child victims of online abuse.”
The measure is supported by the Tim Tebow Foundation, Rights4Girls, the National Children’s Alliance, the Center for Counter Human Trafficking at CPAC, the Child Rescue Coalition, and the International Justice Mission.