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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a sexual assault policy at public and private |
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institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.9363, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.9363. [CAMPUS] SEXUAL ASSAULT POLICY. (a) In this |
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section, "postsecondary educational institution" means an |
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["]institution of higher education or a private or independent |
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institution of higher education, as those terms are defined[" has
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the meaning assigned] by Section 61.003. |
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(b) Each postsecondary educational institution [of higher
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education] shall adopt a policy on [campus] sexual assault |
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applicable to each student enrolled at and each employee of the |
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institution. The policy must: |
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(1) include: |
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(A) definitions of prohibited behavior; |
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(B) sanctions for violations; and |
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(C) the protocol for reporting and responding to |
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reports of [campus] sexual assault; and |
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(2) be approved by the institution's governing board |
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before final adoption by the institution. |
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(c) Each postsecondary educational institution [of higher
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education] shall make the institution's [campus] sexual assault |
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policy available to students, faculty, and staff members by: |
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(1) including the policy in the institution's student |
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handbook and personnel handbook; and |
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(2) creating and maintaining a web page on the |
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institution's Internet website dedicated solely to the policy. |
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(d) Each postsecondary educational institution [of higher
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education] shall require each entering freshman or undergraduate |
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transfer student to attend an orientation on the institution's |
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[campus] sexual assault policy before or during the first semester |
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or term in which the student is enrolled at the institution. The |
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institution shall establish the format and content of the |
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orientation. |
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(e) Each postsecondary educational institution shall |
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develop and implement a public awareness campaign to inform |
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students enrolled at and employees of the institution of the |
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institution's sexual assault policy. |
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(f) Each biennium, each postsecondary educational |
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institution [of higher education] shall review the institution's |
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[campus] sexual assault policy and, with approval of the |
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institution's governing board, revise the policy as necessary. |
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SECTION 2. Section 51.9363, Education Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies beginning with the 2017 fall semester. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |