Legislation aimed at addressing the growing incidence of campus sexual violence passed the House and now heads to the governor’s desk for final approval.

Senate Bill 5518, sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, would establish a uniform process for investigations and disciplinary proceedings related to sexual violence at institutions of higher education.
The bill also mandates campus violence assessments to gauge the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses. Institutions would report their findings and include plans to conduct sexual violence awareness campaigns.

“I am particularly disturbed when I hear about young college students who have been sexually assaulted,” said Kohl-Welles. “Just as disturbing is hearing how many of them feel voiceless, fear retaliation and don’t know where to turn for help after the assault. I have introduced this legislation to give victims a voice and to promote a campus environment that works hard to prevent assaults.”

Sexual violence is a nationwide problem and seems to be magnified on college campuses. It is so widespread that the Center for Disease Control has determined that sexual violence poses a public health crisis. An estimated one in every five women attending college is a victim of rape or some form of sexual assault. In addition, an estimated 6 percent of men are sexually assaulted during their college careers. With this said, the issue of campus sexual assault remains a deeply gender-specific issue with women representing the majority of victims.

“By raising awareness, we can better prepare our students to watch for warning signs and influence bystanders to interfere when they detect someone could become a victim,” said Kohl-Welles.
Since students are especially at risk during their first three months on campus, it is important that new students are quickly made aware of the prevalence of campus sexual violence. All of the state’s public colleges and universities would be required to ensure all students are informed of their policies and procedures on sexual violence and to whom they can report an incident as well as that their reports are kept confidential.

In 2014, several high-profile cases garnered national attention and more than 90 colleges and universities nationwide are currently under investigation by the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights for violation of Title IX, relating to how they have handled sexual violence cases.

“No student should be afraid to step onto a college campus on the first day of school,” said Kohl-Welles.

“Our college campuses must be a place for safety, knowledge and independence, and free from fear and violence. That includes off-campus events and social gatherings, such as fraternity parties, that are associated with the college.”

Kohl-Welles added that she is looking forward to tackling this issue further when she speaks about her legislation and the broader issue of campus sexual violence at the May meeting of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) in Alaska. Kohl-Welles serves as the vice-chair of WICHE.