“A bill to prevent harassment at institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section revises the Clery Act disclosure requirements (i.e., annual campus security reports) by changing the subsection heading to “Disclosure of campus security and harassment policy and campus crime statistics”; adding definitions in paragraph (6)(A) for “commercial mobile service,” “electronic communication,” and “electronic messaging services”; and requiring each participating U.S. institution of higher education to include in such reports (1) a policy statement prohibiting student, faculty, and staff harassment of enrolled students on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, and sex stereotypes), disability, or religion—covering on-campus and off-campus locations, dormitories, institution-sponsored activities, institutional email and networks, and electronic messaging services, commercial mobile services, electronic communications, or other technology—and describing prevention programs, student reporting procedures, and institutional response procedures; and (2) a detailed description of any patterns of such harassment and actions taken. The policy statement must also address procedures for timely action (including notice of disciplinary outcomes to accuser and accused), possible sanctions, available counseling and support services, and a designated office for receiving and tracking reports.
This section establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Secretary of Education to address harassment at institutions of higher education on the basis of characteristics specified in section 485(f)(9)(A)(i) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(9)(A)(i)), as amended by section 2 of this Act. Eligible entities include institutions of higher education (including those partnering with nonprofits) or consortia of such institutions in the same state. Grant recipients must use funds to (1) prevent student harassment; (2) provide counseling or redress services to students who have experienced or been accused of such harassment; or (3) educate or train students, faculty, or staff on recognizing, preventing, or addressing it. Grants are awarded for up to three years, renewable for one additional two-year period, based on greatest need and potential benefit, in amounts sufficient to meet program purposes. Grantees must evaluate activities and report results to the Secretary within six months after the grant period ends. The Secretary must submit annual reports to Congress on grant recipients, programs, costs, and effectiveness in reducing harassment; publish a best-practices report for institutions based on grantee evaluations; and is authorized $50 million annually for FY2026 through FY2031.
This section specifies that nothing in the Act invalidates or limits rights, remedies, procedures, or legal standards available under other federal laws or state/local laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. It states that the Act's obligations are in addition to those imposed by the listed laws.