H-1913.1

HOUSE BILL 1751

ByRepresentatives Leavitt, Senn, Berry, Valdez, Bateman, Berg, Callan, Cody, Fitzgibbon, Santos, Simmons, Slatter, Bergquist, and Pollet

AN ACT Relating to hazing prevention and reduction at institutions of higher education; amending RCW 28B.10.900; adding new sections to chapter 28B.10 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 28B.10.900 and 1993 c 514 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in RCW 28B.10.901 and 28B.10.902, "hazing" includes any ((method of))act committed as part of a person's recruitment, initiation ((into)), pledging, admission into, or affiliation with a student organization, athletic team, or living group, or any pastime or amusement engaged in with respect to such an organization, athletic team, or living group that causes, or is likely to cause, bodily danger or physical harm, or serious mental or emotional harm, to any student or other person attending a public or private institution of higher education or other postsecondary educational institution in this state, including causing, directing, coercing, or forcing a person to consume any food, liquid, alcohol, drug, or other substance which subjects the person to risk of such harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate. "Hazing" does not include customary athletic events or other similar contests or competitions.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Each public and private institution of higher education shall prohibit in its code of conduct hazing off campus as well as on campus.

(2) Beginning with the 2022 fall term, each public and private institution of higher education shall provide students and their parents or legal guardians as applicable with an educational program on hazing and the dangers of and prohibition on hazing, which shall include information regarding hazing awareness, prevention, intervention, and the institution's policy on hazing. The educational program may be offered in person or electronically. The institution must offer at least one opportunity for students to complete the program during a new student orientation session. Each institution shall verify each student's attendance at the program. Each institution shall prohibit a student who does not attend the program from participating in a student organization, athletic team, or living group recognized by or operating under the sanction of the institution until the student attends the program. A student organization, athletic team, or living group shall not accept or initiate any person who has not attended the program.

(3) Institutional materials on student rights and responsibilities given to student organizations, athletic teams, or living groups, either electronically or in hard copy form, shall include a statement on the institution's antihazing policy and on the dangers of hazing.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Beginning with the 2022-23 academic year, each public and private institution of higher education shall maintain and publicly report actual findings of violations by any student organization, athletic team, or living group of the public or private institution of higher education's code of conduct, antihazing policies, or state or federal laws relating to hazing or offenses related to alcohol, drugs, sexual assault, or physical assault.

(2) The report shall include the following:

(a) The name of the student organization, athletic team, or living group;

(b) The date the investigation was initiated;

(c) The date on which the investigation ended with a finding that a violation occurred;

(d) A description of the incident or incidents, including the date of the initial violation, and the violations, findings, and sanctions placed on the student organization, athletic team, or living group;

(e) The details of the sanction or sanctions imposed, including the beginning and end dates of the sanction or sanctions; and

(f) The date the student organization, athletic team, or living group was charged with a violation.

(3) Investigations that do not result in a finding of formal violations of the student code of conduct or state or federal law shall not be included in the report. The report shall not include any personal or identifying information of individual student members and shall be subject to the requirements of the federal family education rights and privacy act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g.

(4) Public and private institutions of higher education shall make reports under this section available on their websites in a prominent location clearly labeled and easily accessible from the institution's website.

(5) Each public and private institution of higher education shall maintain reports as they are updated for five years and shall post them on their respective websites at least 45 calendar days before the start of each fall academic term and at least 10 days before the start of all other academic terms.

(6) In addition to the report in subsection (2) of this section, beginning with the 2022 academic year, public and private institutions of higher education shall maintain a page on their respective websites that is regularly updated with current investigations into hazing, alcohol, drug, sexual assault, or physical assault violations by any student organization, athletic team, or living group. The page shall include the name of the organization, the date of the report or allegation that prompted the investigation, the date the investigation was initiated, and a description by category of the conduct under investigation.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Beginning in the 2022 fall academic term, each public and private institution of higher education shall provide hazing prevention education on the signs and dangers of hazing as well as the institution's prohibition on hazing to every employee, including a student employee, and volunteer of the institution, either in person or electronically. The training shall be provided at the beginning of each academic year and for new employees at the beginning of each academic term.

(2) If, as a result of observations or information received in the course of employment or volunteer service, any employee, including a student employee, or volunteer at a public or private institution of higher education has reasonable cause to believe that hazing has occurred, the employee or volunteer shall report the incident, or cause a report to be made, to a designated authority at the institution. The employee or volunteer shall make the report at the first opportunity to do so.

(3) "Reasonable cause" means a person who witnesses hazing or receives a credible written or oral report alleging hazing or potential or planned hazing activity.

(4) A person who witnesses hazing or has reasonable cause to believe hazing has occurred or will occur and makes a report in good faith may not be sanctioned or punished for the violation of hazing unless the person is directly engaged in the planning, directing, or act of hazing reported.

(5) Nothing in this section shall preclude a person from independently reporting hazing or suspected hazing activity to law enforcement.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Social fraternity and sorority organizations shall notify the public or private institution of higher education before chartering, rechartering, opening, or reopening a local chapter or operating at the public or private institution of higher education.

(2) Social fraternity and sorority organizations shall notify the public or private institution of higher education when the organization instigates an investigation of a local chapter at the public or private institution of higher education for hazing or other activity that includes an element of hazing, such as furnishing alcohol to minors. The organization shall provide the results of such investigation and a copy of the full findings report to the public or private institution of higher education's student conduct office.

(3) Beginning in the 2022 fall academic term, any local social fraternity or sorority chapter seeking to obtain or maintain registration with any public or private institution of higher education in the state must certify in writing and provide weblinks to that institution showing that the landing pages of all websites owned or maintained by the local chapter contain a full list for the previous five years of all findings of violations of antihazing policies, state or federal laws relating to hazing, alcohol, drugs, sexual assault, or physical assault, or the institution's code of conduct against the local chapter.

(4) Failure of a social fraternity or sorority organization to comply with subsections (1) through (3) of this section shall result in automatic loss of recognition until such time that the organization comes into compliance with those subsections.

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