Austin News

U.S. Senators John Cornyn, Maggie Hassan, and Ben Ray Luján have announced the signing into law of their Jenna Quinn Law. This legislation allows current grant funds to be used for training and educating students, teachers, caregivers, and other adults who work with children on preventing, recognizing, and reporting child sexual abuse. The bill is named after Jenna Quinn, a Texan survivor of child abuse, and is based on reforms passed by the Texas Legislature in 2009.

"Inspired by Texan Jenna Quinn, our landmark legislation modeled after successful reforms in Texas will ensure every student, teacher, and caregiver across the country has the tools to recognize and prevent abuse of vulnerable children," said Sen. Cornyn. He expressed gratitude towards Jenna Quinn and his colleagues for their support.

Senator Hassan highlighted bipartisan efforts: "Members of both parties are united in our mission to find additional ways to keep children safe from sexual abuse." She emphasized that the legislation aims to provide evidence-based training for community members.

Senator Luján stated, "Every child deserves protection from abuse. Ensuring all adults, teachers, and caregivers are equipped with the knowledge to identify, prevent, and report child sexual abuse is a necessary and life-saving mechanism." He noted that Jenna’s Law has been implemented in several states including New Mexico.

The bill was also cosponsored by Senator Mike Braun and led in the House by Representatives Nathaniel Moran, Michael McCaul, and Susan Wild.

Jenna Quinn has been a vocal advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse. Her advocacy led to what is known as Jenna’s Law in Texas—the first U.S. law mandating K-12 training for students and school staff on this issue. The law was amended in 2017 to include sex trafficking prevention education.

Following its passage in Texas in 2009, studies showed educators reported child sexual abuse at significantly higher rates post-training compared to pre-training periods. The new federal law will authorize grants for increasing training on sexual abuse prevention education nationwide.