JENNA QUINN LAW

On 2024-12-17, Representative Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1) delivered a floor speech titled "JENNA QUINN LAW" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered the environment, foreign policy. It referenced legislation: S1147.

JENNA QUINN LAW

Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)] [House] [Pages H7261-H7263] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] JENNA QUINN LAW Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1147) to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to provide for grants in support of training and education to teachers and other school employees, students, and the community about how to prevent, recognize, respond to, and report child sexual abuse among primary and secondary school students. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 1147 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 ``Jenna Quinn Law''. SEC. 2. CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AWARENESS FIELD INITIATED GRANTS. (a) In General.--Section 105(a) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(8) Child sexual abuse awareness field-initiated grants.-- ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may award grants under this subsection to entities, for periods of up to 5 years, in support of field-initiated innovation projects that advance, establish, or implement comprehensive, innovative, evidence- based or evidence-informed child sexual abuse awareness and prevention programs by-- ``(i) improving student awareness of child sexual abuse in an age-appropriate manner, including how to recognize, prevent, and safely report child sexual abuse; ``(ii) training teachers, school employees, and other mandatory reporters and adults who work with children in a professional or volunteer capacity, including with respect to recognizing child sexual abuse and safely reporting child sexual abuse; or ``(iii) providing information to parents and guardians of students about child sexual abuse awareness and prevention, including how to prevent, recognize, respond to, and report child sexual abuse and how to discuss child sexual abuse with a child. ``(B) Reporting.--Each entity receiving a grant under subparagraph (A) shall submit an annual report to the Secretary, for the duration of the grant period, on the projects carried out using such grant, including the number of participants, the services provided, and the outcomes of the projects, including participant evaluations.''. (b) Report on Effectiveness of Expenditures.--Not later than 5 years after the date on which the first grant is awarded under paragraph (8) of section 105(a) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106(a)), as added by subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall-- (1) prepare a report that describes the projects for which funds are expended under paragraph (8) of such section 105(a)(8) and evaluates the effectiveness of those projects; and (2) submit the report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives. (c) Report on Duplicative Nature of Expenditures.--Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall-- (1) prepare a report that examines whether the projects described in subsection (b) are duplicative of other activities supported by Federal funds; and (2) submit the report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina. General Leave Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 1147. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from North Carolina? There was no objection. Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill's story begins with its namesake, Jenna Quinn, a teenage sexual assault survivor. Legislation in Jenna's name was enacted in the State of Texas in 2009 and has already saved countless children from abuse. In fact, a study found that after Jenna's Law was passed in Texas in 2009, educators reported abuse at a rate of almost four times more after receiving education and instruction about abuse. Now, Congress has a chance to apply some of the law's key protections across the country. Child abuse and neglect are heartbreaking, immoral, and inexcusable. No child should ever have to endure pain and suffering. In a perfect world, we would not need laws addressing child abuse, but this world is far from perfect. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the United States are estimated to experience child abuse. The National Children's Alliance states: ``An estimated 558,899 children (unique incidents) were victims of abuse and neglect in the U.S. in 2022, the most recent year for which there is national data.'' The Jenna Quinn Law, S. 1147, champions prevention through education. This bill aims to prevent child sexual abuse by allowing schools to utilize existing grants to educate teachers, staff, parents, and students to recognize and respond to abuse. In addition to protecting children, the bill respects taxpayer money. The bill does not mandate or authorize any new spending. Importantly, it includes a provision that requires the Comptroller General of the United States to provide oversight by submitting a report to the respective committees no later than 5 years after enactment to ensure that the funds are used effectively and transparently. To sum it up, this bipartisan legislation directly addresses the pervasive issue of child sexual abuse in our country. S. 1147 recognizes that parents, educators, and other school personnel are on the front lines in recognizing and reporting child abuse and equips them with the knowledge of the signs of abuse and the tools to report abuse accurately and correctly. Protecting the Nation's children is not a partisan issue but a moral imperative. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Moran and Wild for their tireless advocacy on the issue and for working on this bill. I encourage my colleagues to support S. 1147, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1147, the Jenna Quinn Law. The Jenna Quinn Law considers only one small part of the much broader Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, or CAPTA. Through the reauthorization of CAPTA, Congress could take meaningful steps in preventing and addressing child abuse and neglect through providing States with the necessary resources to strengthen community- based child abuse prevention services. Despite CAPTA reauthorization passing in the House on a bipartisan basis in two previous Congresses, the bill did not become law, so we find ourselves here today considering the very narrowly drafted Jenna Quinn Law, which specifies that the HHS Secretary can award projects aimed at preventing child sexual abuse. It must be said that the Jenna Quinn Law regrettably does not authorize any new funding for such projects. Reauthorizing CAPTA would have been a much better route and is a top priority, but another priority would be to address the communication holes in State child welfare systems. Specifically, the inability to communicate the threat of child endangerment across State lines can have devastating consequences. [[Page H7262]] In particular, one of my constituents, Heaven Watkins, fell victim to the lack of communication between State welfare agencies. In her case, the system allowed her to remain with an abusive parent who moved her from Minnesota to Virginia. Her past abuse was not communicated with Virginia officials, and the move resulted in her tragic death. I am frustrated that this bill did not come to us under regular order. As a result, I am not able to offer the amendment that I offered at markup and the language that had been included in previous House- passed CAPTA reauthorization bills. My amendment would have required the creation of a nationwide interstate data exchange system to provide caseworkers with appropriate background and information on a family's interaction with the child welfare system in another State. If we had that State database in place, then it could have prevented further abuse or even death at the hands of abusive caregivers whose actions are not monitored across State lines, as was the case for Heaven Watkins and countless children. While, ultimately, I will support the Jenna Quinn Law as far as it goes, the issue of child abuse prevention and treatment requires a more comprehensive approach. We can and should do more to reduce child abuse and neglect. Despite the lack of a more comprehensive approach and no additional funding, this bill is still a step in the right direction. As a result, I will vote ``yes'' on the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Moran). Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to speak in support of S. 1147, the Jenna Quinn Law. As the proud sponsor of the House companion legislation, I know how critical and vital this legislation is for so many. I thank, at the outset, Senator Cornyn for his hard work on the Senate side on this bill and for his years of leader

Referenced legislation: S1147, S1147