The Connecticut legislature in the recently completed session passed House Bill 5029 “An Act Concerning Sexual Assaults, Stalking and Intimate Partner Violence.” This bill was adopted partly in response to complaints by several University of Connecticut students that their sexual assault complaints were not properly handled by the university. The bill, as passed, has many strong points, but there are some missed opportunities and some shortcomings.
The provisions are similar to recent recommendations made by the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. As in the task force report, the bill requires colleges and universities to establish preventive programs and increases reporting requirements. Further, the bill establishes training programs on bystander conduct and protocols for response teams to provide resources to victims. The bill also clarifies who is responsible for processing complaints.
