Rep. Laurel Lee’s Safe Cloud Storage Act Advances Out of House Judiciary Committee

July 15, 2026 Press Release Washington, D.C. — Today, the House Judiciary Committee advanced Congresswoman Laurel Lee’s bipartisan Safe Cloud Storage Act , legislation to help law enforcement modernize how it securely handles digital evidence in child sexual exploitation investigations. The bill is led by Representative Laurel Lee and co-led by Steve Cohen (D–TN), Madeleine Dean (D–PA), and Brad Knott (R–NC). Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is leading the Senate version of the Safe Cloud Storage Act , reflecting strong bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. The Safe Cloud Storage Act gives investigators access to secure, modern technology that can help accelerate investigations while protecting highly sensitive evidence. “As technology continues to evolve, law enforcement must have access to the modern tools necessary to protect children and bring predators to justice,” said Rep. Laurel Lee. “Too many investigators are still forced to rely on outdated storage methods that slow investigations and delay justice for victims.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. I am grateful to my colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee for advancing this bipartisan legislation.” “We must do everything in our power to protect children from abuse and prosecute those who commit such despicable crimes — that include modernizing how law enforcement stores sensitive information so they can better purse justice,” Rep. Dean said. “Our bipartisan bill is a commonsense 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. 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.” “Our bipartisan Safe Cloud Storage Act is an important measure that will ensure law enforcement has access to important cloud-based tools to store evidence,” said Rep. Steve Cohen. “This bill removes a needless complication that can slow arrests and prosecutions for online child exploitation. I’m pleased to work with Representatives Laurel Lee (R–FL-15), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), and Brad Knott (R–NC-13) in moving this important bill to passage.” “I’m proud to work with Congresswoman Lee on this critical legislation, and I’m pleased to advance it out of Committee. As a former federal prosecutor, I know how essential it is to modernize evidence handling in the most horrific and sensitive cases,” said Rep. Brad Knott . “ This bill will help ensure that heinous offenders are brought to justice more efficiently, that victims see accountability, and that strict standards govern the handling and protection of sensitive evidence; goals that clearly earned strong, bipartisan support today.” Today, many law enforcement agencies continue to rely on outdated or inadequate storage systems that can delay child exploitation investigations and increase operational burdens. The Safe Cloud Storage Act addresses a key barrier to modernizing evidence storage by providing limited liability protections to vetted, law enforcement-approved cloud service providers. This allows trusted technology partners to securely assist law enforcement while maintaining rigorous cybersecurity standards and protecting the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive evidence. The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of law enforcement, child protection, and victim advocacy organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), the Fraternal Order of Police, Thorn, Raven, the Child Rescue Coalition, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, and the International Justice Mission. The bill now heads to the House Floor for consideration. Watch Rep. Lee’s full committee remarks here .