Campus Accountability and Safety Act
- Bill Number
- S. 2990
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Education
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-10-08: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-01T19:30:32Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Campus Accountability and Safety Act aims to strengthen protections against campus sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual harassment, and stalking by amending the Higher Education Act of 1965 (specifically the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act) and related laws. It seeks to improve transparency, reporting, survivor support, and institutional accountability in higher education settings to better prevent and respond to these crimes.
Key Provisions
- Enhanced Clery Act Reporting Requirements:
- Institutions must publish campus security policies in accessible formats, including multiple languages, and prominently on their websites.
- Expands crime statistics to include detailed breakdowns of sexual offenses (e.g., rape, fondling, incest, statutory rape) and tracks student-specific incidents, such as reports to Title IX coordinators (federal officials responsible for handling gender-based discrimination complaints), disciplinary actions, outcomes, sanctions, and cases closed due to respondent withdrawal.
- Defines key terms like "complainant" (alleged victim), "respondent" (alleged perpetrator), "Title IX coordinator," and "higher education responsible employee" (staff with authority or duty to address or report such incidents).
- Standardizes definitions for statistics using sources like the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and FBI reporting systems, ensuring anonymity for individuals involved.
- Transparency Measures:
- Requires the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to create a public, searchable website featuring:
- Roles and contact information for Title IX coordinators and sexual violence specialists.
- Details on ongoing ED investigations, enforcement actions, and resolutions related to Clery Act and Title IX violations (without revealing personal information, in compliance with privacy laws like FERPA – the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
- Downloadable institution-reported data, complaint filing guidance, and ED policies on investigations, including timelines and outcomes.
- University Support for Survivors:
- Mandates designation of "sexual and interpersonal violence specialists" – trained, non-investigative staff who provide confidential, trauma-informed support (e.g., explaining rights, reporting options, accommodations like housing changes without requiring police reports).
- Requires institutions to:
- List specialist contacts and resources on websites, including hotlines, medical facilities, and local advocacy centers.
- Offer optional online anonymous reporting tools.
- Implement amnesty policies to protect good-faith reporters from sanctions for related minor violations (e.g., alcohol use during an incident).
- Provide uniform, campus-wide disciplinary processes for these crimes, without varying by student status (e.g., athlete or major) and without automatically notifying law enforcement.
- Deliver written notices to both complainants and respondents about proceedings, including timelines, rights, and policies.
- ED must develop evidence-based training (within one year) on trauma-informed interviewing, consent, cultural responsiveness, and neurobiology of trauma for staff involved in grievances or interviews; institutions must train relevant employees annually.
- Institutions report coordinator and specialist details annually to ED and the Department of Justice (DOJ), with public availability.
- Grants and Oversight:
- Amends VAWA grants (Section 304) to include sexual harassment in funding for campus prevention, education, and response programs.
- Authorizes ED to impose civil penalties (up to 1% of an institution's operating budget) for non-compliance, with options for voluntary resolutions and adjustments based on factors like intent and institution size.
- Requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on grant effectiveness, with a report to Congress within two years.
- Implementation:
- Effective dates vary: specialist designations within 1–3 years (via negotiated rulemaking); other provisions within one year.
- ED conducts negotiated rulemaking for regulations on specialist numbers, amnesty determinations, and small-institution partnerships.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Clery Act Expansions: Adds granular tracking of student-involved incidents and outcomes (e.g., sanctions, withdrawals), beyond basic crime counts; requires multilingual, website-based disclosures; standardizes offense definitions and prohibits identifying information in reports.
- New Roles and Training: Introduces dedicated sexual violence specialists (separate from investigators or Title IX staff) with confidentiality privileges, and mandates federal training programs – not previously required.
- Title IX and VAWA Integration: Enhances coordination with Title IX by publicizing investigations and requiring survivor-centered policies; explicitly adds sexual harassment to VAWA campus grants, broadening eligible activities like education and victim services.
- Disciplinary and Reporting Reforms: Ensures uniform processes and prompt written notices; prohibits automatic law enforcement notifications; introduces amnesty and anti-retaliation protections, shifting from prior variable institutional approaches.
- Penalties and Transparency: Establishes financial penalties for non-compliance (previously limited to aid loss); creates a centralized ED website for oversight, replacing fragmented reporting.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Increases ED's workload for website development, training creation, investigations, and rulemaking; expands DOJ's role in receiving reports and grant administration; GAO must conduct a new study, potentially informing future funding.
- On Citizens (Students and Survivors): Improves access to confidential support, accommodations, and resources, potentially increasing reporting and reducing re-traumatization; provides clearer paths for anonymous disclosures and amnesty, benefiting victims from underserved groups (e.g., based on culture, disability, or neurodivergence).
- On Higher Education Institutions: Requires new hires/trainings, policy updates, and reporting, raising costs (especially for smaller schools, which can partner); non-compliance risks fines, but voluntary resolutions offer flexibility.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though it may indirectly affect international students by enhancing campus safety standards and support for global victims.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Higher Education Institutions: Public and private colleges receiving federal funds must comply with new reporting, staffing, and policy requirements.
- Students: Particularly survivors of sexual violence, harassment, or stalking, who gain better support and protections; also respondents, who receive formal due process notices.
- U.S. Department of Education and DOJ: Oversee implementation, training, investigations, and enforcement.
- Victim Advocacy Organizations: Consulted on training and policies; provide resources and may partner for specialist roles.
- Local Law Enforcement and Community Services: Enhanced coordination options, but without mandatory notifications, preserving complainant choice.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces Title IX (prohibiting sex discrimination in education) and Clery Act compliance through penalties and transparency, potentially increasing lawsuits for non-adherence; emphasizes victim-centered approaches aligned with VAWA, but requires balancing confidentiality with mandatory reporting under state laws. Amnesty policies could reduce barriers to reporting without preempting broader conduct rules.
- Constitutional: Ensures due process (e.g., notice, hearing rights for both parties) in disciplinary proceedings, addressing fair trial concerns for respondents; protects privacy via FERPA compliance, avoiding First Amendment issues in speech-related harassment definitions.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (Gillibrand and Grassley) signals broad support for campus safety; may spur debates on institutional burdens vs. survivor rights, influencing future education funding and Title IX regulations amid ongoing scrutiny of federal overreach in higher education.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-10-08: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2025-10-08: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Campus Accountability and Safety Act — issued 2025-10-08 — PDF (43 pages)