Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (R-Fla.) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) recently introduced companion legislation fortifying federal visa screenings to prevent individuals connected to child sexual exploitation from entering the U.S.
The Strengthened Checks for Reliable Evaluation of Entrants Nationwide (SCREEN) Act would provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State with access to relevant information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The bill aims to close the gap in the federal government’s ability to access such information while strengthening coordination with NCMEC to ensure that potential predators are barred from entering the U.S. and crossing the U.S. border.
Rep. Gimenez & Sen. Scott Affirm the Need For The Bill
“The criminals who exploit innocent children online cannot be allowed to hide behind our borders or take advantage of gaps in our screening systems,” Congressman Gimenez said. “I am proud to work with Senator Rick Scott to close this gap, protect our children, and keep dangerous predators out of our communities.”
“The greatest country in the history of the world should have 100% certainty that we aren’t letting child predators come here on work visas,” Sen. Scott affirmed. “It’s inexcusable that we have let bureaucracy fail our children and put them in danger. It’s time to fix that.”
Reports of Sexual Predators Being Hired Without Proper Vetting
The SCREEN Act comes in response to recent reports indicating that several cruise lines traversing the U.S. have hired foreign workers who were later found to have Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
In May 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the deportation of twenty-seven Disney Cruise Line workers. CBP officers discovered these workers were “involved in either the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing” of CSAM material.
Bill Broadens NCMEC's Info-Sharing
The legislation broadens the NCMEC’s information-sharing capabilities, which currently are limited to sharing reports only with certain designated law enforcement agencies.
“Interagency coordination is vital to both our national security and the safety of American children, and we need more of it,” Sen. Scott said.
