Dive Brief:
- The 64 State University of New York campuses will overhaul their sexual assault policies within the next 60 days, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.
- Cuomo said that a state law will eventually be passed to regulate sexual assault polices at all colleges and universities in New York, the New York Times reported.
- One of the policy changes echoes the new California state law that defines what consent to sex means. Under the New York definition, consent is an active affirmative act, and previous consent or silence cannot alone be interpreted as consent.
Dive Insight:
Cuomo acknowledged that while the issue isn't exclusive to SUNY and other New York higher ed institutions, it does offer those institutions a chance to take a leadership role in addressing the issue. Also proposed for the new policies: a Sexual Assault Victims' Bill of Rights, which will explain to victims that they have a right to report their complaints to the police, as well as immunity from punishment for underage drinking and other campus rules that they may have been violating when the assault occurred.