Jenna Quinn Law
Floor Speech
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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.
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Ms. FOXX. 1147.
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.
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Ms. FOXX.
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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, children are the Nation's future, but, sadly, the life and bright future of hundreds of thousands of children are threatened each year by abuse and neglect.
Mr. Speaker, S. 1147 allows for grants for child sexual abuse prevention programs in schools, equipping educators to recognize and report signs of abuse early.
Jenna Quinn's story reminds us of the urgency to act, and this bill ensures that we continue to safeguard vulnerable children from preventable cases of sexual assault. I believe this legislation, in the face of evil, will help prevent child sexual abuse and help identify children who are experiencing these horrible acts to be put on a path towards healing.
By passing S. 1147, Congress is taking meaningful steps to prevent additional child abuse and neglect by providing States with the tools necessary to strengthen child abuse prevention services.
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