The Washington Post
7.29.15 | Nick Anderson
A Senate committee explored possible responses to sexual assault in college Wednesday during a hearing that suggested there is bipartisan momentum for legislation to address what has emerged as a key issue on many campuses.
“There should be no question that sexual violence on campus is a widespread, growing and unacceptable problem,” said Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the ranking Democrat on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. “Simply put, in colleges and universities across the country, basic human rights are being violated.”
The committee heard from four senators, two Democrats and two Republicans, about a bill that would require colleges to provide confidential advisers to help students who report sexual violence. The bill also would require surveys every two years of students at each university to gauge the scope of the problem, with the results published online to inform parents and students, and it would establish new penalties for schools that fail to follow federal laws related to campus safety and gender discrimination.
“Parents want to be confident that their sons and daughters will be safe and have access to resources” at colleges, said Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), one of the four co-sponsors of the bill. “Unfortunately that’s not always the case.”
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