Bill Text: NJ S2429 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires institutions of higher education to provide victims of sexual assault with contact information for sexual assault crisis services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-06-27 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee [S2429 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S2429-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires institutions of higher education to provide victims of sexual assault with contact information for sexual assault crisis services.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning sexual assaults occurring at 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. In the event that an institution of higher education receives a report of an alleged sexual assault made by a student enrolled in the institution or made by an employee of the institution against another such student or employee, the institution shall immediately provide the victim with contact information for the Sexual Assault Response Team of the county in which the institution is located established pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2001, c.81 (C.52:4B-54), or in the case of Rutgers University-New Brunswick, with contact information for the Rutgers Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance. The contact information shall also include an overview of the services available to the victim from the county Sexual Assault Response Team or the Rutgers Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance.
b. The institution shall notify the sexual assault victim of the existing available services, including but not limited to, medical treatment, counseling, legal options, forensic medical services, and mental health and student services for victims of sexual assault, both on campus and in the community, whether or not the assault is reported to law enforcement authorities.
c. An institution of higher education which fails to provide contact information or notify a sexual assault victim of available resources pursuant to subsections a. and b. of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of $10,000. The civil penalty shall be collected and enforced by summary proceedings pursuant to the provisions of the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).
d. Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude, or in any way restrict, an institution of higher education from responding to and investigating an allegation of sexual assault made pursuant to subsection a. of this section for the purpose of imposing disciplinary action on the alleged perpetrator of the assault.
2. Rutgers, The State University shall annually report to the Secretary of Higher Education the number of victims of sexual assault who were referred by the university to the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance located at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and received services.
3. The county prosecutor's office in each county shall annually report to the Secretary of Higher Education the number of victims of sexual assault who were referred by an institution of higher education to a Sexual Assault Response Team established pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2001, c.81 (C.52:4B-54) and received services.
4. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires an institution of higher education, upon receiving a report of an alleged sexual assault made by a student or employee against another student or employee, to immediately provide the victim with contact information for the Sexual Assault Response Team of the county in which the institution is located. In the case of Rutgers University-New Brunswick, the victim will be provided with contact information for the Rutgers Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance. The contact information will also include an overview of the services available to the victim from the county Sexual Assault Response Team or the Rutgers Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance. The bill provides that the institution must also notify the victim of existing available services including medical treatment, counseling, legal options, forensic medical services, and mental health and student services for victims of sexual assault, both on campus and in the community, whether or not the assault is reported to law enforcement authorities.
The bill provides that an institution which fails to provide contact information to the victim or notify the victim of available resources will be subject to a civil penalty of $10,000. The bill specifies that its provisions do not preclude, or in any way restrict, an institution of higher education from responding to and investigating an allegation of sexual assault for the purpose of imposing disciplinary action on the alleged perpetrator of the assault.
The bill requires Rutgers University to annually report to the Secretary of Higher Education the number of sexual assault victims who were referred by the university to the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance and who received services. The county prosecutor's office in each county will annually report to the secretary the number of victims of sexual assault who were referred by an institution of higher education to the county Sexual Assault Response Team and who received services.
