S.B. No. 968
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to a sexual assault policy at certain public and private
  institutions of higher education and to requiring those
  institutions to provide students and employees an option to
  electronically report certain offenses to the institution.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 51.9363, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 51.9363.  [CAMPUS] SEXUAL ASSAULT POLICY. (a)  In this
  section, "postsecondary educational institution" means an
  ["]institution of higher education or a private or independent
  institution of higher education, as those terms are defined[" has
  the meaning assigned] by Section 61.003.
         (b)  Each postsecondary educational institution [of higher
  education] shall adopt a policy on [campus] sexual assault
  applicable to each student enrolled at and each employee of the
  institution.  The policy must:
               (1)  include:
                     (A)  definitions of prohibited behavior;
                     (B)  sanctions for violations; and
                     (C)  the protocol for reporting and responding to
  reports of [campus] sexual assault; and
               (2)  be approved by the institution's governing board
  before final adoption by the institution.
         (c)  Each postsecondary educational institution [of higher
  education] shall make the institution's [campus] sexual assault
  policy available to students, faculty, and staff members by:
               (1)  including the policy in the institution's student
  handbook and personnel handbook; and
               (2)  creating and maintaining a web page on the
  institution's Internet website dedicated solely to the policy.
         (d)  Each postsecondary educational institution [of higher
  education] shall require each entering freshman or undergraduate
  transfer student to attend an orientation on the institution's
  [campus] sexual assault policy before or during the first semester
  or term in which the student is enrolled at the institution.  The
  institution shall establish the format and content of the
  orientation.
         (e)  Each postsecondary educational institution shall
  develop and implement a public awareness campaign to inform
  students enrolled at and employees of the institution of the
  institution's sexual assault policy.  As part of the campaign, the
  institution shall provide to students information regarding the
  protocol for reporting incidents of sexual assault adopted under
  Subsection (b), including the name, office location, and contact
  information of the institution's Title IX coordinator, by:
               (1)  e-mailing the information to each student at the
  beginning of each semester or other academic term; and
               (2)  including the information in the orientation
  required under Subsection (d).
         (f)  As part of the protocol for responding to reports of
  sexual assault adopted under Subsection (b), each postsecondary
  educational institution shall:
               (1)  to the greatest extent practicable based on the
  number of counselors employed by the institution, ensure that each
  alleged victim or alleged perpetrator of an incident of sexual
  assault and any other person who reports such an incident are
  offered counseling provided by a counselor who does not provide
  counseling to any other person involved in the incident; and
               (2)  notwithstanding any other law, allow an alleged
  victim or alleged perpetrator of an incident of sexual assault to
  drop a course in which both parties are enrolled without any
  academic penalty.
         (g)  Each biennium, each postsecondary educational 
  institution [of higher education] shall review the institution's
  [campus] sexual assault policy and, with approval of the
  institution's governing board, revise the policy as necessary.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 51.9365 to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.9365.  ELECTRONIC REPORTING OPTION FOR CERTAIN
  OFFENSES.  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Dating violence" means abuse or violence, or a
  threat of abuse or violence, against a person with whom the actor
  has or has had a social relationship of a romantic or intimate
  nature.
               (2)  "Postsecondary educational institution" means an
  institution of higher education or a private or independent
  institution of higher education, as those terms are defined by
  Section 61.003.
               (3)  "Sexual assault" means sexual contact or
  intercourse with a person without the person's consent, including
  sexual contact or intercourse against the person's will or in a
  circumstance in which the person is incapable of consenting to the
  contact or intercourse.
               (4)  "Sexual harassment" means unwelcome, sex-based
  verbal or physical conduct that:
                     (A)  in the employment context, unreasonably
  interferes with an employee's work performance or creates an
  intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment; or
                     (B)  in the education context, is sufficiently
  severe, persistent, or pervasive that the conduct interferes with a
  student's ability to participate in or benefit from educational
  programs or activities.
               (5)  "Stalking" means a course of conduct directed at a
  person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person's
  safety or to suffer substantial emotional distress.
         (b)  Each postsecondary educational institution shall
  provide an option for a student enrolled at or an employee of the
  institution to electronically report to the institution an
  allegation of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence,
  or stalking committed against or witnessed by the student or
  employee, regardless of the location at which the alleged offense
  occurred.
         (c)  The electronic reporting option provided under
  Subsection (b) must:
               (1)  enable a student or employee to report the alleged
  offense anonymously; and
               (2)  be easily accessible through a clearly
  identifiable link on the postsecondary educational institution's
  Internet website home page.
         (d)  A protocol for reporting sexual assault adopted under
  Section 51.9363 must comply with this section.
         (e)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt
  rules as necessary to administer this section.
         (f)  The commissioner of higher education shall establish an
  advisory committee to recommend to the Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board rules for adoption under Subsection (e).  The
  advisory committee consists of nine members appointed by the
  commissioner.  Each member must be a chief executive officer of a
  postsecondary educational institution or a representative
  designated by that officer.  Not later than December 1, 2017, the
  advisory committee shall submit the committee's recommendations to
  the coordinating board.  This subsection expires September 1, 2018.
         SECTION 3.  Section 51.9363, Education Code, as amended by
  this Act, applies beginning with the 2017-2018 academic year.
         SECTION 4.  Not later than January 1, 2018, each public or
  private postsecondary educational institution shall provide the
  electronic reporting option required under Section 51.9365,
  Education Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 968 passed the Senate on
  April 10, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 1;
  May 25, 2017, Senate refused to concur in House amendments and
  requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 26, 2017, House
  granted request of the Senate; May 28, 2017, Senate adopted
  Conference Committee Report by the following vote:  Yeas 31,
  Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 968 passed the House, with
  amendments, on May 20, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 124,
  Nays 12, one present not voting; May 26, 2017, House granted
  request of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee;
  May 28, 2017, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the
  following vote:  Yeas 120, Nays 27, two present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
             Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor