Bill Text: WV HB103 | 2019 | 1st Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: West Virginia Anti-hazing Law
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-05-20 - Tabled [HB103 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2019-HB103-Introduced.html
WEST virginia legislature
2019 first extraordinary session
Introduced
House Bill 103
By Delegates Hanshaw (Mr. Speaker) and Miley
By request of the Executive
[Introduced May 20, 2019]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18-16-1, §18-16-2, §18-16-3, and §18-16-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; all relating to prohibiting hazing generally; adopting a short title; defining terms; criminalizing participation in hazing; establishing criminal penalties; expanding and clarifying organizations subject to anti-hazing provisions; requiring institutions of higher education to promulgate policies related to hazing; requiring enforcement of institution anti-hazing policies; and authorizing institutions to impose non-criminal penalties for hazing.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 16. ANTIHAZING LAW.
§18-16-1. Short title.
This article shall be known
and may be cited as the “Antihazing Law” “West Virginia Anti-hazing
Law.”
§18-16-2. Definitions.
As used in this article:
(1) “Hazing” means to cause
any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental
or physical health or safety of another person or persons or causes another
person or persons to destroy or remove public or private property for the
purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with, or as a condition
for continued membership in, any organization operating under the sanction
of or recognized as an organization by the members of which are
primarily students or alumni of an institution of higher education. The
term includes, but is not limited to, any brutality acts of a
physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, forced required
consumption of any food, liquor, drug or other substance, or any other forced
required physical activity which could reasonably be deemed to adversely
affect the physical health and safety of the individual person or
individuals persons so treated, and includes any activity which
would subject the individual person or individuals persons
so treated to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced
exclusion from social contact, forced required conduct which could
result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced required
activity which could reasonably be deemed to adversely affect the mental
health or dignity of the individual person or individuals person
so treated, or any willful destruction or removal of public or private
property: Provided, That the implied or expressed consent or willingness
of a person or persons to hazing shall may not be a defense under
this section.
(2) “Institution of higher education” or “institution” means any public or private institution as defined in §18B-1-2 of this code.
(3) “Organization” means any fraternity, sorority, association, corporation, order, society, corps, club, or similar group, or a national or international affiliate thereof, the membership of which is primarily made up students or alumni of an institution of higher education.
§18-16-3. Hazing prohibited.
Any person or persons
who causes hazing is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof,
shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, or confined in a
county or regional jail for not more than nine months, or both fined
and imprisoned confined. Provided, That if the
act would otherwise be deemed a felony as defined in this code, the person
committing such act may be found guilty of such felony and, be subject to
penalties provided for such felony
§18-16-4. Enforcement by institutions.
(a) Antihazing policy.
– The university of West Virginia board of trustees created pursuant to
article two, chapter eighteen-b of this code and the board of directors of the
state college system created pursuant to article three of said chapter shall by
August 1, 1995, promulgate guidelines for antihazing policies The
governing body of each institution of higher education in this state shall
promulgate and enforce antihazing rules consistent with this article.
(b) Enforcement and penalties. —
(1) Each institution shall provide a program for the
enforcement of such rules promulgated pursuant to subsection (a) of
this section and shall adopt appropriate penalties for violations of
such rules to be administered by the person or agency at the institution responsible
for the sanctioning or recognition of such organizations thereof.
(2) In the case of an organization which authorizes
hazing in blatant disregard of such rules, penalties Penalties may also
include recision of permission for that an organization to
operate on campus property or to otherwise operate under the sanction or
recognition of the institution.
(3) All penalties imposed under the authority of this
section shall be in addition to any penalty imposed for violation of §18-16-3
of this code or of any of the criminal laws of this state. or for violation
of any other institutional rule to which the violator may be subject
(4) Rules adopted pursuant hereto apply to acts
conducted on or off campus whenever such acts are deemed to constitute
hazing as defined in §18-16-2 of this code.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to extend the prohibition against hazing to any organization whose members are primarily students or alumni of an institution of higher education.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.