Bill Text: NJ A4077 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires public institutions of higher education to offer two-hour seminar on prevention of sexual assault to certain students.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee [A4077 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A4077-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CARMELO G. GARCIA
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires public institutions of higher education to offer two-hour seminar on prevention of sexual assault to certain students.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning sexual assault prevention instruction at public institutions of higher education and supplementing P.L.1994, c.160 (C.18A:61E-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Beginning with the 2015-2016 academic year, the governing board of a public institution of higher education shall adopt an on-campus, sexual assault prevention seminar to be offered each semester to students who participate in any athletic program at the institution, or who are members of any student group or organization at the institution including, but not limited to, fraternities and sororities and other similar campus organizations. The seminar shall be approximately two hours in length and shall provide students with information including, but not limited to:
(1) information on the potential risk of campus sexual assault;
(2) the institution's policies and procedures concerning the reporting and investigation of an allegation of sexual assault made by a student enrolled in the institution or made by an employee of the institution against another student or employee; and
(3) the existing available services including, but not limited to, counseling, legal services, medical services, and other services for victims of sexual assault, both on campus and in the community.
A full-time student enrolled in a public institution of higher education who participates in an athletic program at the institution or who is a member of a student group or organization at the institution shall attend the seminar by the end of the student's initial year of participation in the athletic program or membership in the student group or organization.
b. Prior to the adoption of the sexual assault prevention seminar required pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the governing board of a public institution of higher education shall submit to the Secretary of Higher Education for approval an outline of the proposed seminar. The outline shall be submitted in a manner prescribed by the secretary.
c. In the event that the secretary does not approve the outline submitted pursuant to subsection b. of this section, the secretary shall provide to the board, in writing, an explanation of the reasons for the disapproval. Upon receipt of the explanation, the board shall revise the seminar and resubmit an outline to the secretary within 90 days.
2. This act shall take effect immediately
STATEMENT
This bill requires public institutions of higher education, beginning with the 2015-2016 academic year, to adopt an on-campus, sexual assault prevention seminar to be offered to certain students each semester. Under the bill, a full-time student who participates in an athletic program at the institution or who is a member of a student group or organization, including a fraternity or sorority, must attend the seminar by the end of the student's initial year of participation in the athletic program or membership in the student group or organization.
Under the bill, the seminar will be approximately two hours in length and will provide students with, at minimum:
· information on the potential risk of campus sexual assault;
· the institution's policies and procedures concerning the reporting and investigation of an allegation of sexual assault made by a student enrolled in the institution or made by an employee of the institution against another student or employee; and
· the existing available services including, but not limited to, counseling, legal services, medical services, and other services for victims of sexual assault, both on campus and in the community.
Under the bill, the governing board must submit an outline of the proposed seminar to the Secretary of Higher Education for approval. In the event that the secretary does not approve the outline, the secretary will provide to the board, in writing, an explanation of the reasons for the disapproval. Upon receipt of the explanation, the board will revise the seminar and resubmit an outline to the secretary within 90 days.
