Kennedy Hails House Bill Addressing Campus Sexual Assault

Press release from Rep. Kennedy's Office:

June 2, 2021

In a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives, State Rep. Kathy Kennedy today hailed final passage of a bill to address sexual assault on college campuses.

The legislation, HB 6374 does two things: It mandates each college conduct a survey about this issue every two years to help implement effective policies around this issue; and secondly, it establishes an amnesty program for victims that allow an underage student who has been drinking or using drugs to report an assault without fear of being charged with a violation.

“This bill is an opportunity to provide a victim of sexual assault or a survivor of sexual violence with some measure of understanding or solace," said Rep. Kennedy. "Violence prevention and the support for sexual assault survivors should not be a partisan issue."

Campus assault is a major problem. 50% of campus assaults occur in the first three months of school beginning. This is called the “Red Zone.” In 2018 there were 436 reported assaults and stalking cases reported at Connecticut colleges. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) estimates that only 5% of victims of sexual violence on any college campus in America choose to report their assault to university officials.

Rep. Kennedy thanked the student-led organization Every Voice Coalition CT for their advocacy on this legislation.

The legislation is supported of both the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence and the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The bill now heads to the State Senate for further action. The legislative session adjourns on June 9.

This press release was produced by Rep. Kennedy's Office. The views expressed here are the author's own.