Renewed Hope Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 6998 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6998 To enhance hiring authorities at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 9, 2026 Ms. Lee of Florida (for herself and Ms. Wasserman Schultz) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To enhance hiring authorities at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Renewed Hope Act''. SEC. 2. IMAGE AUDIO FORENSICS HIRING AND TRAINING PROGRAMS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. (a) Additional Personnel.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall hire, train, and assign not fewer than-- (1) 40 forensics analysts to the Victim Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations; (2) 30 child exploitation investigators to the Victim Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations; and (3) 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. (b) Prohibition on Reassignment of Positions.-- (1) In general.--A position created under subsection (a) may not be reassigned to another component of the Department of Homeland Security that is outside of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of Homeland Security Investigations or the offices of the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investi