New legislation would support survivors of sexual assault on college campuses

Story at a glance

• Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Wednesday introduced a bill that would bolster supports for survivors of sexual assault on college and university campuses.

• The Survivor Outreach and Support on Campus Act would require institutions that receive federal funding to designate an independent advocate responsible for campus sexual assault prevention and response.

• The measure is co-sponsored by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Wednesday introduced legislation to better support survivors of sexual assault on college and university campuses.

The Survivor Outreach and Support on Campus Act, or the SOS Campus Act, would require all colleges and universities that receive federal funding to designate an independent advocate responsible for campus sexual assault prevention and response, including distributing information on how to report a sexual assault and access emergency medical care.

Each advocate under the proposed legislation will be tasked with representing the sole interests of survivors, even if that means clashing with the interests of their college or university.

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Institutions are also prohibited from disciplining, penalizing or retaliating against advocates for representing the interests of survivors, according to the bill, which is co-sponsored by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

Similar legislation was introduced by Kaine in 2019.

“As students across Virginia and the country head back to school, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to prevent sexual assault on campuses and provide support to survivors,” Kaine said Wednesday in a news release.

“This bill is critical to ensuring that students who bravely speak out are connected with the medical treatment, counseling, and legal information they need,” he said.

Under Kaine’s bill, advocates are also required to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of sexual assault survivors, as well as witnesses, and are not permitted to disclose any identifying information to a students’ college or university.

In a 2020 report from the Association for American Universities (AAU), 13 percent of graduate and undergraduate students reported having experienced rape or sexual assault. Among undergraduate students, roughly 26 percent of females and nearly 7 percent of males said they had experienced rape or sexual assault.

All higher education students face an increased risk of sexual assault during the first few months of the school year, with more than 50 percent of campus sexual assaults occurring between August and November, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

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