Jennifer's Law
Encyclopedia
Jennifer's Law is a law in the state of Texas, in the United States that was created as a result of the murder of Jennifer Ann Crecente
in Austin, Texas
. She was a Senior
in high school and murdered a few months before her graduation. She was not given a posthumous diploma and her family requested that the law in Texas be changed.
from El Paso, Texas
filed SB 697 in the Texas Senate
to create "Jennifer's Law." Representative Bolton filed companion bill HB 1563 in the Texas House of Representatives
. The bill passed the Education Committees of both the Senate and House unanimously.
On May 23, 2007 the Senate voted on the bill and it was signed on May 28, 2007. On May 25, 2007 the House voted on the bill and it was signed on May 27, 2007. The bill was sent to Governor
Rick Perry
on May 28, 2007 and was signed by the governor on June 15, 2007. The law went into effect immediately.
Jennifer Ann Crecente
Jennifer Ann Crecente , a victim of teen dating violence, was an 18-year-old high school honor student who was shot and killed in southwest Austin, Texas by an ex-boyfriend, Justin Crabbe on Wednesday, February 15, 2006. She was a camp counselor at SciTrek in Atlanta and hospital volunteer in Austin...
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. She was a Senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
in high school and murdered a few months before her graduation. She was not given a posthumous diploma and her family requested that the law in Texas be changed.
History
On February 15, 2007, Senator Eliot ShapleighEliot Shapleigh
Eliot Shapleigh is a politician from the state of Texas, who represented the state's 29th Senatorial District, which comprises the majority of El Paso County, from 1997 to 2011. He announced on October 16, 2009 that he will not run for re-election in 2010...
from El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
filed SB 697 in the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
to create "Jennifer's Law." Representative Bolton filed companion bill HB 1563 in the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
. The bill passed the Education Committees of both the Senate and House unanimously.
On May 23, 2007 the Senate voted on the bill and it was signed on May 28, 2007. On May 25, 2007 the House voted on the bill and it was signed on May 27, 2007. The bill was sent to Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
on May 28, 2007 and was signed by the governor on June 15, 2007. The law went into effect immediately.
Usage
"Jennifer's Law" allows for 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:- The student must be enrolled in their Senior year of high school.
- The law applies to students beginning the school year of 2005–2006.
- 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.
- The student must not have been convicted of a felonyFelonyA felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
or adjudicated as having committed actions that would constitute a felony.