Introduced by U.S. Senator Bob Casey and U.S. Representative Caroline Maloney, SaVE will complement the Title IX Guidance by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
The Campus SaVE Act seeks to address the violence women face on campus: the highest rates of stalking, the highest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence, and 20-25 percent of female students experiencing rape or attempted rape. This legislation will update the Jeanne Clery Act to create:
Transparency
SaVE requires that incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking be disclosed in annual campus crime statistic reports. Additionally, students or employees reporting victimization will be provided with their written rights to:
- Be assisted by campus authorities if reporting a crime to law enforcement
- Change academic, living, transportation or working situations to avoid a hostile environment
- Obtain or enforce a no-contact directive or restraining order
- Have a clear description of their institution’s disciplinary process and know the range of possible sanctions
- Receive contact information about existing counseling, health, mental health, victim advocacy, legal assistance, and other services available both on-campus and in the community
Accountability
SaVE clarifies minimum standards for institutional disciplinary procedures covering domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking to ensure that:
- Proceedings shall provide a prompt, fair and impartial investigation and resolution and are conducted by officials receiving annual training on domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking
- Both parties may have others present during an institutional disciplinary proceeding and any related meeting, including an advisor of their choice
- Both parties will receive written outcomes of all disciplinary proceedings at the same time
Education
SaVE instructs colleges and universities to provide programming for students and employees addressing the issues of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Education programs shall include:
- Primary prevention and awareness programs for all incoming students and new employees
- Safe and positive options for bystander intervention
- Information on risk reduction to recognize warning signs of abusive behavior
- Ongoing prevention and awareness programs for students and faculty
Collaboration
SaVE establishes collaboration between the U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services to collect and disseminate best practices for preventing and responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.
