[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 161 (Thursday, September 17, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5688-S5689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Jenna Quinn Law

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, as families have been quarantined at home 
over the past several months, their lives have been filled with a whole 
new set of stressors. Loss of income, isolation, anxiety about their 
own health, and the stress of teaching children at home can test even 
the healthiest families and relationships.
  But it also puts children at higher risk of child abuse and neglect. 
In April this year, nationwide reports of abuse or neglect dropped by 
an average of about 40 percent compared to the same time last year. 
That doesn't mean there are fewer instances of abuse--probably far from 
it--just fewer reports.
  One of the things about children attending school is that their 
teachers and counselors can monitor them for signs of sexual assault, 
sexual abuse, and report that to the appropriate authorities. In 2018, 
two-thirds of the reports of child abuse were submitted by people who 
came in contact with treatment as part of their jobs--police officers, 
lawyers, social services, and, of course, teachers, as I said.
  Teachers, education professionals, and other support staff at school, 
like bus drivers, are responsible for more than half of the child abuse 
reports. But with children home during the pandemic, out of sight from 
the teachers and others who would otherwise see them on a routine 
basis, abuse is becoming more difficult to identify and report.
  Child sexual assault abuse was a crisis before the pandemic, with 
more than 42 million adult survivors in America. As the stresses of the 
pandemic and lack of reporting have taken a violent toll across the 
country, there is an urgent need for Congress to act.
  Over the years, I have listened to courageous victims in Texas who 
have shared their stories and advocated for reforms to prevent more 
children from experiencing this tragic abuse. One of those 
inspirational individuals is Jenna Quinn, a child abuse survivor and 
fierce advocate for children who are often suffering in silence. She 
was the driving force behind what is now known as Jenna's Law in Texas, 
which requires training for teachers, caregivers, and other adults who 
work with children on how to prevent, recognize, and report child 
sexual abuse. The signs of child sexual abuse are unique from other 
forms of child abuse, and correctly identifying these signs is integral 
to bringing children out of a sexually abusive situation.
  After it passed in 2009, a study found that educators reported child 
sexual abuse at a rate almost four times greater after the training 
they had received than before they had received that training. It was 
one of the first child sexual abuse prevention laws in the United 
States demanding this training, and now more than half of our States 
have adopted some form of Jenna's Law.
  The kicker is that in many States, including Texas, they don't 
provide funding for the training, for the program. That is what Senator 
Hassan, the Senator from New Hampshire, and I want to change.
  Last year we introduced the Jenna Quinn Law, which would take the 
successful reforms in Texas and other States and make them a reality 
for children across the country. This bill would allow current grant 
funds to be used for specialized training for students, teachers, and 
other caregivers to learn how to identify, safely report, and hopefully 
prevent future child sexual abuse. This legislation also encourages the 
States without similar laws to implement innovative programs to address 
such abuse.
  Again, I want to express my appreciation to Senators Hassan and 
Braun, who have joined me in this bipartisan effort, and I hope we can 
get this bill to the President's desk soon. No child should experience 
abuse or neglect, and the Jenna Quinn Law will bring us closer to 
identifying and stopping abuse in its tracks.
  I came to the floor initially with the thought of offering a 
unanimous consent request to pass the Jenna Quinn Law, Jenna's Law. It 
has cleared on our side. There is some discussion going forward between 
our Democratic colleagues and us about pairing this with another piece 
of legislation which, like Jenna's Law, is not controversial. And based 
on the commitment that this will be passed as part of the wrapup this 
evening, I will not offer that unanimous consent request at this time, 
but I will depend on that commitment we have gotten that it will be 
passed in wrapup today. So I want to express again my appreciation to 
Senator Hassan and Senator Braun for working with us on this.
  So often, the best of intentions go awry because there is no funding 
mechanism to help facilitate and pay for the training, and that is 
where the money that we appropriated that goes to the Department of 
Justice--their grant programs for various law enforcement initiatives--
is so valuable. Those are the funds that are already appropriated that 
we want to tap into for this type of essential training.
  I yield to my friend from New Hampshire.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire
  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I want to thank Senator Cornyn for his 
partnership and support his call. I urge my colleagues to support our 
legislation, the Jenna Quinn Law, and I, too, look forward to its being 
passed as part of wrapup this evening.
  Every child has the fundamental right to be safe, to be treated with 
dignity, to be cared for, and to have the opportunity to seize their 
vast potential. Sexual abuse robs children of those rights. Too often, 
these horrific crimes go unrecognized or unreported, and children are 
left in dangerous situations without access to safety and justice.
  During my time as Governor of New Hampshire, I worked with 
Republicans and Democrats to sign into law a bill that mandated that 
child abuse prevention be taught as a part of the health education 
curriculum, and I am proud to work with Senator Cornyn to strengthen 
these efforts on a national level.
  The Jenna Quinn Law would better protect children from sexual assault 
by helping ensure that teachers, caregivers, and other adults working 
with children are equipped with the tools and knowledge to prevent, 
recognize, and report sexual abuse and exploitation. It would also 
ensure that children receive age-appropriate education on how to 
recognize and report these heinous acts.
  By encouraging States to provide training and education on child 
sexual abuse recognition and prevention, we can help keep our young 
people safe. But we know that there is much more work ahead of us.
  The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating challenges that many vulnerable 
people face, including children who are abused, and as reporting of 
abuse has gone down during this pandemic, experts have made clear that 
it is because many children have been out of view of the people who 
often provide support and make reports, including teachers and school 
officials.
  So as we work to pass the Jenna Quinn Law today, we also have to 
focus on passing a broader bipartisan reauthorization of the Child 
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to provide

[[Page S5689]]

even more tools to support children and families who are struggling. It 
is our duty to nurture and protect all of our country's children, and 
the Jenna Quinn Law is a strong step to help move us forward in meeting 
that responsibility.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation and to work 
together on additional bipartisan measures to protect the safety and 
well-being of children across the country. Again, I thank my friend 
from Texas for his leadership in moving this important bill forward, 
and I look forward continuing to work with him on these issues.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.