AB 2683 – Imposes Obligations For Sexual Violence And Harassment Training And Resources For Postsecondary Education

Under existing law, the governing board of each community college district and the Trustees of the California State University are required to, and the Regents of the University of California are requested to, provide educational and preventive information about sexual violence to students at all campuses as part of established campus orientations.  Existing law further requires each California community college and California State University campus to post educational and preventive information on sexual violence on its campus internet website.

Assembly Bill 2683 (AB 2683) further requests that each campus of an independent institution of higher education and a private postsecondary educational institution post educational and preventive information on sexual violence and sexual harassment on its campus internet website.  The educational and preventive information is to include all of the following:

1. Common facts and myths about the causes of sexual violence and sexual harassment.
2. What constitutes sexual violence and sexual harassment, including information on how to file internal administrative complaints with the institution of higher education and how to file criminal charges with local law enforcement officials.
3. The availability of, and contact information for, campus and community resources for students who are victims of sexual violence and sexual harassment.
4. Methods of encouraging peer support for victims and the imposition of sanctions on offenders.
5. Information regarding campus, criminal, and civil consequences of committing acts of sexual violence and sexual harassment.

Further, AB 2683 requires, beginning on September 1, 2024, and each year thereafter, that independent institutions of higher education and private postsecondary educational institutions that receive state financial assistance to annually train their students on sexual violence and sexual harassment.  The annual training for students must cover all of the following topics:

1. Common facts and myths about the causes of sexual violence and sexual harassment.
2. What constitutes sexual violence and sexual harassment, including information on how to file internal administrative complaints with the institution of higher education and how to file criminal charges with local law enforcement officials.
3. The availability of, and contact information for, campus and community resources for students who are victims of sexual violence and sexual harassment.
4. Methods of encouraging peer support for victims and the imposition of sanctions on offenders.
5. Information regarding campus, criminal, and civil consequences of committing acts of sexual violence and sexual harassment.
6. The contact information of a Title IX coordinator or a similar position.
7. Statistics on the prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual violence in the educational setting, and the differing rates at which students experience sexual harassment and sexual assault in the educational setting based on their race, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity.

The annual training may be incorporated into incoming student orientation.

AB 2683 urges all campuses to adopt and notify students of policies to eliminate barriers for victims who come forward to report sexual assaults, such as policies exempting the victim from campus sanctions for being in violation of any campus policies, including alcohol or substance abuse policies or other policies of the campus, at the time of the incident.

(An act to amend Section 67385.7 of the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.)