Jennifer's Law Law and Legal Definition
Jennifer’s law is a federal law which enables the state to enhance its efficiency with regard to the reporting system of unidentified and missing persons. Jennifer’s law states that the attorney general is authorized to grant awards to States to improve the reporting of unidentified and missing persons.
Pursuant to 42 USCS § 14662a a State will submit an application at such time and in such form as the attorney general may reasonably require.
The application will include assurances that the state shall, to the greatest extent possible :
1. report to the National Crime Information Center and when possible, to law enforcement authorities throughout the state regarding every deceased unidentified person, regardless of age, found in the State's jurisdiction;
2. enter a complete profile of such unidentified person in compliance with the guidelines established by the Department of Justice for the National Crime Information Center Missing and Unidentified Persons File, including dental records, DNA records, x-rays, and fingerprints, if available;
3. enter the National Crime Information Center number or other appropriate number assigned to the unidentified person on the death certificate of each such unidentified person; and
4. retain all such records pertaining to unidentified persons until a person is identified.
However, Jennifer’s law in Texas is used in a different context. Jennifer's Law allows the parents of a deceased high school student to request a posthumous diploma from the school district in Texas to which the student's high school belongs, subject to the following conditions:1.The student must be enrolled in their Senior year of high school.
2.The law applies to students beginning the school year of 2005–2006.
3.The student must have academically been "on track" to receive a diploma by the end of the year. The definition of "the end of the year" would include a summer session.
4.The student must not have been convicted of a felony or adjudicated as having committed actions that would constitute a felony
Jennifer’s law is a state law that is created as a result of the murder of Jennifer Ann Crecente in Austin, Texas. Jennifer was a student in high school and was murdered a few months before her graduation. The school refused to give a posthumous diploma to her family. Jennifer’s family requested the law in Texas to be changed and Jennifer’s law was created by the Senate in 2007.
