[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 163 (Monday, September 21, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S5725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Jenna Quinn Law

  Madam President, there is no question that this has been a difficult 
year for our country, with division and disagreement taking center 
stage. That changed for a moment last week when the Senate unanimously 
passed a bill that I had introduced called the Jenna Quinn Law to 
protect some of the most vulnerable members of our country.
  This bill carries the name of an inspiring young Texan who is one of 
42 million adult survivors of child sexual abuse nationwide. As Jenna 
says, child sexual abuse is a silent epidemic. One in four girls and 
one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. Those are 
shocking numbers. Sadly, these victims often stay silent for months, 
years, some for even a lifetime. As a result, they and countless other 
victims continue to be subject to abuse.
  Interrupting this cycle of sexual abuse is Jenna's mission and one 
she has devoted her life to pursuing. 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 
recognize and report child sexual abuse.
  The signs of child sexual abuse are unique from other forms of abuse, 
and correctly identifying these signs is integral to bringing children 
out of a sexually abusive situation.
  After the Texas law passed in 2009, a study found that educators 
reported child sexual abuse at a rate almost four times greater after 
training than during their pretraining career--four times greater. It 
was one of the first child sexual abuse prevention laws in the United 
States to mandate this kind of training.
  Now, more than half of all the States have adopted a form of Jenna's 
Law, but many States, including my State, which have passed these laws 
don't provide the funding for the training. Thanks to the legislation 
that passed the Senate unanimously last week, that is one step closer 
to occurring.
  The Jenna Quinn law will take the successful reforms in Texas and 
other States and finally back them with some Federal funding for that 
essential training. It will still allow current grant funds from the 
Department of Justice, for example, to be used for specialized training 
for students, teachers, and caregivers to learn how to identify, safely 
report, and hopefully prevent future child sexual abuse.
  This legislation also encourages States with similar laws to 
implement innovative programs to address and discourage child sexual 
abuse. It is a critical step to interrupting this cycle that is 
impacting children across the country and preventing more children from 
enduring this trauma.
  My partner in this bipartisan effort was Senator Hassan from New 
Hampshire, and I appreciate her help in moving this bill through the 
Senate. I hope our colleagues in the House will quickly take it up and 
pass the Jenna Quinn law so we can get it to the President's desk as 
soon as possible.
  The COVID-19 crisis has underscored the urgency of this legislation. 
In April of this year, nationwide reports of abuse or neglect dropped 
by an average of 40 percent compared to the same time last year. 
Normally, this type of drop in reporting would be great news, but based 
on everything we know about the stresses and circumstances created by 
this pandemic, I fear that there is actually an increase in abuse. It 
just isn't being recognized or reported. We need to make investments 
now in the health and safety of our children and bring this silent 
epidemic to an end.
  Speaker Pelosi has made clear that the House will stay in session 
until an agreement is reached on COVID-19 relief so there is no reason 
for the House not to be able to act on this consensus legislation. I 
urge the House to take it up and pass it--which has received unanimous 
support in the Senate--and support America's children at a critical 
time like this.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip