Bill > S2203

This bill aims to address sexual violence on higher education campuses. Key provisions include: - Requiring public and private degree-granting institutions of higher education to adopt detailed and trauma-informed policies on dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. These policies must include procedures for reporting incidents, accessing support services, interim protective measures, and disciplinary proceedings. - Establishing a campus safety advisor within the Department of Higher Education to coordinate and disseminate best practices on campus safety issues. - Requiring institutions to enter into memoranda of understanding with local sexual assault and domestic violence service providers to ensure students have access to confidential crisis services. - Mandating annual dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking prevention and awareness programming for students and employees. - Creating the role of a confidential resource advisor on each campus to provide information and assistance to reporting parties, while maintaining confidentiality. - Requiring institutions to employ "responsible employees" who must report incidents to the Title IX coordinator and complete relevant training. The bill also directs the Department of Higher Education to conduct a cost study on implementing a campus-wide threat response program, and establishes a task force to evaluate the impact of allowing or prohibiting certain self-defense weapons on college campuses.

Budget and Finance

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/S2203