Campus Accountability and Safety Act

Campus Accountability and Safety Act

This bill addresses sexual harassment, sexual assault, and other violence and harassment on the campuses of colleges and universities.

The bill expands reporting requirements included in the annual campus security report provided to current and prospective students and employees. Specifically, the report must include information about (1) the institution's coordination with local law enforcement about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking occurring against its students or against other individuals on its campus; (2) statistics about certain criminal offenses reported to campus security authorities or local police, including rape, fondling, incest, and statutory rape; and (3) information about how the institution is addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The Department of Education (ED) must administer and publish the campus-level results of a biannual survey of students regarding their experiences with domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Each institution must establish a campus security policy that meets certain requirements with respect to (1) assisting survivors; (2) training individuals who are involved in implementing the student grievance procedures or who are responsible for interviewing survivors; and (3) establishing a uniform process for student disciplinary proceedings relating to any claims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or relating to a sexual misconduct policy violation against a student.

ED and the Department of Justice may impose civil penalties for failure to meet certain requirements under this bill.

The bill also authorizes grants to address these issues.