SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED 2015 Regular Session SENATE BILL NO. 255 BY SENATORS MORRELL, APPEL AND PETERSON AND REPRESENTATIVES ADAMS, WESLEY BISHOP, GISCLAIR AND PATRICK WILLIAMS Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana. POSTSECONDARY ED. Provides relative to sexual assault on college campuses. (gov sig) 1 AN ACT 2 To enact R.S. 17:3351(H) and Part XII of Chapter 26 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised 3 Statutes of 1950, to be comprised of R.S. 17:3399.11 through 3399.15, relative to 4 sexual assault on campuses of postsecondary institutions; to provide for the general 5 powers, duties, and functions of postsecondary management boards; to require 6 annual anonymous sexual assault climate surveys to be conducted; to provide for 7 procedures; to provide for reporting; and to provide for related matters. 8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 9 Section 1. R.S. 17:3351(H) and Part XII of Chapter 26 of Title 17 of the Louisiana 10 Revised Statutes of 1950, comprised of R.S. 17:3399.11 through 3399.15, are hereby enacted 11 to read as follows: 12 §3351. General powers, duties, and functions of college and university boards 13 * * * 14 H.(1)(a) When funding is made available, each public postsecondary 15 institution shall administer an annual, anonymous sexual assault climate survey 16 to its students. 17 (b) Participation in the sexual assault climate survey shall be voluntary. Page 1 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED 1 No student shall be required or coerced to participate in the survey and shall 2 face no retribution or negative consequence of any kind for declining to 3 participate. 4 (c) The Board of Regents, in consultation with the public postsecondary 5 education management boards, shall develop the survey and establish 6 procedures for the administration of the survey and shall use the survey 7 developed by the Center on Violence Against Women and Children at the 8 Rutgers University School of Social Work as a model. 9 (2) Each public postsecondary institution shall: 10 (a) Administer the survey to students who choose to participate. 11 (b) Report school-specific results of the survey to the Board of Regents. 12 (3) The Board of Regents shall: 13 (a) Submit a written report not later than September first of each year 14 regarding the survey results of each public postsecondary institution and the 15 state as a whole to the governor and the Senate and House of Representatives 16 committees on education for the previous academic year. 17 (b) Publish the survey results on the board's website and in any other 18 location or venue the board deems necessary or appropriate. 19 (4) The provisions of this Subsection shall be implemented as 20 expeditiously and to the maximum extent possible utilizing any and all available 21 funding sources, including funding provided by the legislature. 22 * * * 23 PART XII. CAMPUS ACCOUNTABILITY AND SAF ETY 24 §3399.11. Short Title 25 This Part may be referred to as the Campus Accountability and Safety 26 Act. 27 §3399.12. Scope 28 Each public postsecondary institution in this state that receives any Title 29 IV funding from the United States Department of Education shall be subject to Page 2 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED 1 all the provisions of this Part. 2 §3399.13. Definitions 3 For the purposes of this Part, the following terms shall have the following 4 meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: 5 (1) "Institution" means a postsecondary institution as defined in R.S. 6 17:3399.12. 7 (2) "President" means the president of the system of the respective 8 institution. 9 (3) "Sexually-oriented criminal offense" includes any sexual assault 10 offense as defined in R.S. 44:51 and any sexual abuse offense as defined in R.S. 11 14:403. 12 (4) "Title IX coordinator" means the individual designated as a 13 responsible employee in Section 106.8(a) of Title 34, Code of Federal 14 Regulations, as such section is in effect on the date of enactment of this Part. 15 §3399.14. Coordination with local law enforcement 16 A. Each institution and law enforcement and criminal justice agency 17 located within the parish of the campus of the institution shall enter into a 18 memorandum of understanding to clearly delineate responsibilities and share 19 information in accordance with applicable federal and state confidentiality laws, 20 including but not limited to trends about sexually-oriented criminal offenses 21 occurring against students of the institution. 22 B. The Board of Regents' Uniform Policy on Sexual Assault shall require 23 that the memorandum of understanding, as described in Subsection A of this 24 Section, be updated every two years. 25 C. Each memorandum of understanding entered into pursuant to this 26 Part shall include: 27 (1) Delineation and sharing protocols of investigative responsibilities. 28 (2) Protocols for investigations, including standards for notification and 29 communication and measures to promote evidence preservation. Page 3 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED 1 (3) Agreed upon training and requirements for the parties to the 2 memorandum of understanding on issues related to sexually-oriented criminal 3 offenses for the purpose of sharing information and coordinating training to the 4 extent possible. 5 (4) A method of sharing general information about sexually-oriented 6 criminal offenses occurring within the jurisdiction of the parties to the 7 memorandum of understanding in order to improve campus safety. 8 D. The local law enforcement agency shall include information on its 9 police report regarding the status of the alleged victim as a student at an 10 institution as defined in this Part. 11 E. The institution shall not be held liable if the local law enforcement 12 agency refuses to enter into a memorandum of understanding as required by 13 this Section. 14 §3399.15. Campus security policy 15 The Board of Regents shall establish uniform policies and best practices 16 to implement measures to address the reporting of sexually-oriented criminal 17 offenses on postsecondary campuses, the prevention of such crimes, and the 18 medical and mental health care needed for these alleged victims that includes 19 the following: 20 A.(1) Confidential advisors. The institution shall designate individuals 21 who shall serve as confidential advisors, such as health care staff, clergy, staff 22 of a women's center, or other such categories. Such designation shall not 23 preclude the institution from partnering with national, state, or local victim 24 services organizations to serve as confidential advisors or to serve in other 25 confidential roles. 26 (2) The confidential advisor shall complete the training requirements as 27 provided in this Part. 28 (3) Not later than January 1, 2016, the attorney general in collaboration 29 with the Board of Regents, shall develop online training materials, in addition Page 4 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED 1 to the training required under this Part, for the training of confidential 2 advisors. 3 (4) The confidential advisor shall inform the alleged victim of the 4 following: 5 (a) The rights of the alleged victim under federal and state law and the 6 policies of the institution. 7 (b) The alleged victim's reporting options, including the option to notify 8 the institution, the option to notify local law enforcement, and any other 9 reporting options. 10 (c) If reasonably known, the potential consequences of the reporting 11 options provided in this Part. 12 (d) The process of investigation and disciplinary proceedings of the 13 institution. 14 (e) The process of investigation and adjudication of the criminal justice 15 system. 16 (f) That the institutional student disciplinary proceeding has limited 17 jurisdiction, scope, and available sanctions, and should not be considered a 18 substitute for the criminal justice process. 19 (g) Potential reasonable accommodations that the institution may 20 provide to an alleged victim. 21 (h) The name and location of the nearest medical facility where an 22 alleged victim may have a rape kit administered by an individual trained in 23 sexual assault forensic medical examination and evidence collection, and 24 information on transportation options and available reimbursement for a visit 25 to such facility. 26 (5) The confidential advisor may, as appropriate, serve as a liaison 27 between an alleged victim and the institution or local law enforcement, when 28 directed to do so in writing by an alleged victim who has been fully and 29 accurately informed about what procedures shall occur if information is shared, Page 5 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED 1 and assist an alleged victim in contacting and reporting to a responsible 2 employee or local law enforcement. 3 (6) The confidential advisor shall be authorized by the institution to liaise 4 with appropriate staff at the institution to arrange reasonable accommodations 5 through the institution to allow the alleged victim to change living arrangements 6 or class schedules, obtain accessibility services, or arrange other 7 accommodations. 8 (7) The confidential advisor shall be authorized to accompany the alleged 9 victim, when requested to do so by the alleged victim, to interviews and other 10 proceedings of a campus investigation and institutional disciplinary 11 proceedings. 12 (8) The confidential advisor shall advise the alleged victim of, and 13 provide written information, regarding both the alleged victim's rights and the 14 institution's responsibilities regarding orders of protection, no contact orders, 15 restraining orders, or similar lawful orders issued by a court of competent 16 jurisdiction or by the institution. 17 (9) The confidential advisor shall not be obligated to report crimes to the 18 institution or law enforcement in a way that identifies an alleged victim or an 19 accused individual, unless otherwise required to do so by law. The confidential 20 advisor shall, to the extent authorized under law, provide confidential services 21 to students. Any requests for accommodations, as provided in Paragraph (6) of 22 this Subsection, made by a confidential advisor shall not trigger an investigation 23 by the institution. 24 (10) No later than the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year, the 25 institution shall appoint an adequate number of confidential advisors. The 26 Board of Regents shall determine the adequate number of confidential advisors 27 for an institution, based upon its size, no later than January 1, 2016. 28 (11) Each institution that enrolls fewer than five thousand students may 29 partner with another institution in their system or region to provide the services Page 6 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED 1 described in this Subsection. However, this Paragraph shall not absolve the 2 institution of its obligations under this Part. 3 (12) Each institution may offer the same accommodations to the accused 4 that are hereby required to be offered to the alleged victim. 5 B. Website. The institution shall list on its website: 6 (1) The contact information for obtaining a confidential advisor. 7 (2) Reporting options for alleged victims of a sexually-oriented criminal 8 offense. 9 (3) The process of investigation and disciplinary proceedings of the 10 institution. 11 (4) The process of investigation and adjudication of the criminal justice 12 system. 13 (5) Potential reasonable accommodations that the institution may 14 provide to an alleged victim. 15 (6) The telephone number and website address for a local, state, or 16 national hotline providing information to sexual violence victims, which shall 17 be updated on a timely basis. 18 (7) The name and location of the nearest medical facility where an 19 individual may have a rape kit administered by an individual trained in sexual 20 assault forensic medical examination and evidence collection, and information 21 on transportation options and available reimbursement for a visit to such 22 facility. 23 C. Online reporting. The institution may provide an online reporting 24 system to collect anonymous disclosures of crimes and track patterns of crime 25 on campus. An individual may submit a confidential report about a specific 26 crime to the institution using the online reporting system. If the institution uses 27 an online reporting system, the online system shall also include information 28 regarding how to report a crime to a responsible employee and law enforcement 29 and how to contact a confidential advisor. Page 7 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED 1 D. Amnesty policy. The institution shall provide an amnesty policy for 2 any student who reports, in good faith, sexual violence to the institution. Such 3 student shall not be sanctioned by the institution for a nonviolent student 4 conduct violation, such as underage drinking, that is revealed in the course of 5 such a report. 6 E. Training. Not later than January 1, 2016, the Board of Regents, in 7 coordination with the attorney general and in consultation with state or local 8 victim services organizations, shall develop a program for training for each 9 individual who is involved in implementing an institution's student grievance 10 procedures, including each individual who is responsible for resolving 11 complaints of reported sex offenses or sexual misconduct policy violations, and 12 each employee of an institution who has responsibility for conducting an 13 interview with an alleged victim of a sexually-oriented criminal offense. Each 14 institution shall ensure that the individuals and employees receive the training 15 described in this Subsection no later than the beginning of the 2016-2017 16 academic year. 17 F. Inter-campus transfer policy. 18 (1) The Board of Regents' Uniform Policy on Sexual Assault shall require 19 that public and nonpublic institutions communicate with each other regarding 20 transfer of students against whom disciplinary action has been taken as a result 21 of a code of conduct violation relating to sexually-oriented criminal offenses. 22 (2) The Board of Regents' Uniform Policy on Sexual Assault shall require 23 that public and nonpublic institutions withhold transcripts of students seeking 24 a transfer with pending disciplinary action relative to sexually-oriented criminal 25 offenses, until such investigation and adjudication is complete. 26 (3) The Board of Regents shall identify a common notation to be used 27 by public and nonpublic institutions on the transcript of any student who has 28 had a disciplinary action taken against them. The mark shall not reveal the 29 nature of the action. If the record of any student is subsequently cleared, the Page 8 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED 1 mark shall be removed. 2 Section 2. All required provisions for implementation of this Act shall be achieved 3 with existing staff and resources unless a specific appropriation is provided for these 4 purposes. 5 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not 6 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature 7 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If 8 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become 9 effective on the day following such approval. The original instrument was prepared by Alan Miller. The following digest, which does not constitute a part of the legislative instrument, was prepared by Martha Hess. DIGEST SB 255 Reengrossed 2015 Regular Session Morrell Proposed law requires that when funding is made available, each public postsecondary institution shall administer an annual, anonymous sexual assault climate survey to its students who choose to participate. Proposed law requires the Board of Regents, in consultation with the public postsecondary education management boards, to develop the survey and establish procedures for the administration of the survey and use the survey developed by the Center on Violence Against Women and Children at the Rutgers University School of Social Work as a model. Proposed law requires each public postsecondary institution to: (1)Administer the survey to students who choose to participate. (2) Report school-specific results of the survey to the Board of Regents. Proposed law requires the Board of Regents to: (1)Submit a written report not later than September 1st of each year regarding the survey results of each public postsecondary institution and the state as a whole to the governor and the Senate and House of Representatives committees on education for the previous academic year. (2)Publish the survey results on the board's website and in any other location or venue the board deems necessary or appropriate. Proposed law provides that the provisions of proposed law be implemented as expeditiously and to the maximum extent possible utilizing any and all available funding sources, including funding provided by the legislature. Proposed law creates the Campus Accountability and Safety Act. Proposed law requires each public postsecondary institution that receives any Title IV Page 9 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED funding from the U.S. Dept. of Education to comply with proposed law. Proposed law requires each institution and area law enforcement and criminal justice agency located within the parish to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to clearly delineate responsibilities and share information in accordance with applicable federal and state confidentiality laws, including but not limited to trends about sexually-oriented criminal offenses occurring against students of the institution. Proposed law requires each institution to update the MOU with each law enforcement agency every two years. Proposed law requires the MOU to include: (1)Delineation and sharing protocols of investigative responsibilities. (2)Protocols for investigations, including standards for notification and communication and measures to promote evidence preservation. (3)Agreed upon training and requirements for the parties to the MOU on issues related to sexually-oriented criminal offenses for the purpose of sharing information and coordinating training to the extent possible. (4)A method of sharing general information about sexually-oriented criminal offenses occurring within the jurisdiction of the parties to the MOU in order to improve campus safety. Proposed law requires local law enforcement agency to include information on its police report regarding the status of the alleged victim as a student at an institution as defined in proposed law. Proposed law provides that the institution shall not be held liable if the local law enforcement agency refuses to enter into a MOU as required by proposed law. Proposed law requires the Board of Regents to establish uniform policies and best practices to implement measures to address the reporting of sexually-oriented criminal offenses on postsecondary campuses, the prevention of such crimes, and the medical and mental health care needed for these alleged victims that includes the following: (1)Confidential advisors. The institution shall designate individuals who shall serve as confidential advisors, such as health care staff, clergy, staff of a women's center, or other such categories. Such designation shall not preclude the institution from partnering with national, state, or local victim services organizations to serve as confidential advisors or to serve in other confidential roles. (a)The confidential advisor shall complete the training requirements as provided in proposed law. (b)Not later than Jan. 1, 2016, the attorney general in collaboration with the Board of Regents shall develop online training materials. (c)The confidential advisor shall inform the alleged victim of the following: (i)The rights of the alleged victim under federal and state law and the policies of the institution. (ii)The alleged victim's reporting options, including the option to notify the institution, the option to notify local law enforcement, and any other reporting options. Page 10 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED (iii)If reasonably known, the potential consequences of the reporting options. (iv)The process of investigation and disciplinary proceedings of the institution. (v)The process of investigation and adjudication of the criminal justice system. (vi)That the institutional student disciplinary proceeding has limited jurisdiction, scope, and available sanctions, and should not be considered a substitute for the criminal justice process. (vii)Potential reasonable accommodations that the institution may provide to an alleged victim. (viii)The name and location of the nearest medical facility where an alleged victim may have a rape kit administered by an individual trained in sexual assault forensic medical examination and evidence collection, and information on transportation options and available reimbursement for a visit to such facility. (d)The confidential advisor may serve as a liaison between an alleged victim and the institution or local law enforcement, when directed to do so in writing, and assist an alleged victim in contacting and reporting to a postsecondary education responsible employee or local law enforcement. (e)The confidential advisor shall be authorized by the institution to liaise with appropriate staff to arrange reasonable accommodations to allow the alleged victim to change living arrangements or class schedules, obtain accessibility services, or arrange other accommodations. (f)The confidential advisor shall be authorized to accompany the alleged victim to interviews and other proceedings of a campus investigation and institutional disciplinary proceedings. (g)The confidential advisor shall advise the alleged victim of, and provide written information, regarding both the alleged victim's rights and the institution's responsibilities regarding orders of protection, no contact orders, restraining orders, or similar lawful orders issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by the institution. (h)The confidential advisor shall not be obligated to report crimes to the institution or law enforcement in a way that identifies an alleged victim or an accused individual, unless otherwise required to do so by law. The confidential advisor shall, to the extent authorized under law, provide confidential services to students. Any requests for accommodations, made by a confidential advisor shall not trigger an investigation by the institution. (i)No later than the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year, the institution shall appoint an adequate number of confidential advisors. The Board of Regents shall determine the adequate number of confidential advisors for an institution based upon its size no later than Jan. 1, 2016. (j)Each institution that enrolls fewer than 5,000 students may partner with another institution in their system or region to provide services. (k)Each institution may offer the same accommodations to the accused that are Page 11 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED required to be offered to the alleged victim. (2)Website. The institution shall list on its website: (a)The contact information for obtaining a confidential advisor. (b)Reporting options for alleged victims of a sexually-oriented criminal offense. (c)The process of investigation and disciplinary proceedings of the institution. (d)The process of investigation and adjudication of the criminal justice system. (e)Potential reasonable accommodations that the institution may provide to an alleged victim. (f)The telephone number and website address for a local, state, or national hotline providing information to sexual violence victims, which shall be updated on a timely basis. (g)The name and location of the nearest medical facility where an individual may have a rape kit administered by an individual trained in sexual assault forensic medical examination and evidence collection, and information on transportation options and available reimbursement for a visit to such facility. (3)Online reporting. The institution may provide an online reporting system to collect anonymous disclosures of crimes and track patterns of crime on campus. An individual may submit a confidential report about a specific crime to the institution using the online reporting system. If the institution uses an online reporting system, the online system shall also include information regarding how to report a crime to a responsible employee and law enforcement and how to contact a confidential advisor. (4)Amnesty policy. The institution shall provide an amnesty policy for any student who reports, in good faith, sexual violence to the institution. Such student shall not be sanctioned by the institution for a nonviolent student conduct violation, such as underage drinking, that is revealed in the course of such a report. (5)Training. Not later than Jan. 1, 2016, the Board of Regents, in coordination with the attorney general and in consultation with state or local victim services organizations, shall develop a program for training for each individual who is involved in implementing an institution's student grievance procedures, including each individual who is responsible for resolving complaints of reported sex offenses or sexual misconduct policy violations, and each employee of an institution who has responsibility for conducting an interview with an alleged victim of a sexually- oriented criminal offense. Each institution shall ensure that the individuals and employees receive the training described in proposed law no later than the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year. Proposed law requires the Board of Regents' Uniform Policy on Sexual Assault to require that public and nonpublic institutions communicate with each other regarding transfer of students against whom disciplinary action has been taken as a result of a code of conduct violation relating to sexually-oriented criminal offenses. Proposed law requires the Board of Regents' Uniform Policy on Sexual Assault to require that public and nonpublic institutions withhold transcripts of students seeking a transfer with pending disciplinary action relative to sexually-oriented criminal offenses, until such investigation and adjudication is complete. Page 12 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED Proposed law provides that the Board of Regents shall identify a common notation to be used by public and nonpublic institutions on the transcript of any student who has had a disciplinary action taken against them. The mark shall not reveal the nature of the action. If the record of the student is subsequently cleared, the mark shall be removed. Proposed law provides that all required provisions for implementation of this Act shall be achieved with existing staff and resources unless a specific appropriation is provided for these purposes. Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action. (Adds R.S. 17:3351(H) and R.S. 17:3399.11 through 3399.15 ) Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the original bill 1. Provides that proposed law becomes effective when funding is made available. 2. Removes requirement that survey be administered to faculty and employees. 3. Provides that student participation in the survey is voluntary. 4. Makes present law applicable only to public postsecondary institutions. 5. Removes requirement that each institution designate a employee responsible for reporting or redressing offenses. 6. Provides that Board of Regents' policy shall prescribe method of updating memorandum of understanding between postsecondary institutions and law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. 7. Provides for method of sharing general information to improve campus safety. 8. Provides for certain information to be included in police reports. 9. Provides that institution is not liable if local law enforcement agencies refuse to enter into memorandum of understanding. 10.Changes terminology regarding "victims" to "alleged victims". 11.Provides for inter-campus transfer policy. 12.Requires each nonpublic postsecondary institution to annually submit its campus safety plan to combat sexual harassment to the Board of Regents, beginning Aug. 16, 2016. 13.Makes technical corrections. Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Finance to the engrossed bill 1. Provides that in Board of Regents policies, confidential advisor shall provide information to alleged victim regarding orders issued by institutions. Page 13 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 255 SLS 15RS-382 REENGROSSED 2. Provides that in Board of Regents policies, each institution may offer the same accommodations to the accused that are required to be offered to the alleged victim. 3. Provides that Board of Regents' Uniform Policy on Sexual Assault requires public and nonpublic institutions to communicate with each other regarding inter-campus transfers and to withhold transcripts of students seeking a transfer with a pending disciplinary action relative to sexually-oriented criminal offenses. 4. Provides that the Board of Regents shall identify a common notation to be used by institutions on the transcript of a student who has had a disciplinary action taken against them, which mark shall not reveal the nature of the action and which shall be removed if the student's record is cleared. 5. Deletes provision requiring that beginning Aug. 1, 2016, every private institution in the state annually submit its campus safety plan to combat sexual harassment to the Board of Regents. 6. Provides that all required provisions for implementation of Act shall be achieved with existing staff and resources unless a specific appropriation is provided for these purposes. Page 14 of 14 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions.