Bill > S650

This bill establishes a task force on sexual assault on college campuses, co-chaired by designees from the Commissioner of Higher Education, the Attorney General, and the Commissioner of Public Health, and including representatives from various victim advocacy groups, higher education associations, and legislative leadership. The task force's primary responsibility is to develop an anonymous sexual assault climate survey for Massachusetts college students to assess the prevalence and perceptions of sexual assault, including details on the types of violence, students' knowledge of campus policies, reporting experiences, and demographic factors. Colleges will be required to administer this survey to a representative sample of their students, and participating four-year institutions must submit individual responses to the task force within 90 days. The task force will then analyze this data, publish a report after allowing for public comment from colleges and relevant associations, and subsequently convene to decide on future actions, which could include revising the survey, implementing it repeatedly, or recommending interventions to reduce sexual assault.