Rep. Laurel Lee
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee on July 15 voted 24-0 to pass legislation led by U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) that would provide investigators with access to secure, modern technology to help hasten investigations and protect sensitive digital evidence in child sexual exploitation cases.
“I am grateful to my colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee for advancing this bipartisan legislation,” said Rep. Lee, who on March 5 sponsored the Safe Cloud Storage Act, H.R. 7834, with lead cosponsor U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA).
“As technology continues to evolve, law enforcement must have access to the modern tools necessary to protect children and bring predators to justice,” Rep. Lee said. “Too many investigators are still forced to rely on outdated storage methods that slow investigations and delay justice for victims. The Safe Cloud Storage Act provides a secure, accountable process that allows trusted technology partners to assist law enforcement while maintaining rigorous protections for sensitive evidence.”
The bill would limit liability for certain entities storing child sexual abuse material for law enforcement agencies. This would apply to approved vendors, which are an organization, corporation, or entity that offers digital storage services, including remote or cloud-based storage, and analytical and forensic tool processing support.
Such vendors would be those contractually retained by a covered agency to support the duties of that agency by storing digital child pornography or child obscenity; making such child pornography or child obscenity available to the contracting agency, or any law enforcement or prosecutorial agency designated by the contracting agency, upon request; and providing maintenance, technical and analytical assistance, and forensic tool processing support upon request by the contracting agency, the text says.
“Our bipartisan bill is a common-sense measure to enable law enforcement to securely use cloud-based storage to store materials for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) investigations, making arrests for online child exploitation more efficient,” said Rep. Dean. “I’m grateful to work with Congresswoman Lee, and our colleagues in the House and Senate, as we continue to advocate for this important legislation.”
The legislation is supported by numerous entities, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Child Rescue Coalition, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, and the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, among others.
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is leading the Senate’s version of the bill.