HB0821 - Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act

• Higher education institutions must adopt comprehensive policies by August 1, 2016 addressing sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, including definitions of consent and reporting procedures.

• Institutions must provide confidential advisors trained in sexual violence response (40 hours initial training, 6 hours annual training) to support survivors with emergency and ongoing assistance.

• Complaint resolution procedures must be established with specific protections including: preponderance of evidence standard, written notification within 7 days, appeal rights, and ban on direct cross-examination between parties.

• All students must receive annual primary prevention and awareness programming on consent, reporting options, survivor services, and bystander intervention; employees handling reports must receive 8-10 hours of annual training on trauma-informed responses.

• Institutions must report annually to the Department of Human Rights and Attorney General on incidents reported, investigations conducted, referrals to law enforcement, and disciplinary outcomes; communications with confidential advisors are protected as privileged under state law.