Two state bills, SB 968 and SB 969, will go into effect Sept 1. SB 968 and SB 969 are state laws that amend the Education Code of Texas. These laws protect students and employees utilizing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 in regard to sexual assault, interpersonal violence or stalking.
SB 968 requires that institutions of higher education within the state provide a means by which to electronically report allegations of sexual assault, interpersonal violence or stalking. UHCL has utilized MySafeCampus as an electronic reporting system for several years. The legislation requires that students and employees be able to report alleged offenses anonymously, and the reporting option is easily accessible from the institution’s home page.
SB 969 requires that institutions of higher education within the state grant students and employees amnesty from disciplinary action if a student or employee is witness to, or victim of, an incident of sexual assault. This amnesty occurs only if the student or employee reports the incident and a violation of the institution’s policies was in relation to the incident. The amnesty does not extend to a student or employee reporting his or her own act of sexual assault.
Title IX allows students to have a confidential channel to report allegations of sexual assault, interpersonal violence or stalking without fear of discrimination.
Corey Benson, Title IX coordinator for UHCL, explained that Title IX protects students from being excluded or discriminated upon based on sex.
“Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance,” Benson said. “Title IX, a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972, applies to institutions that receive federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education; UHCL is one of approximately 7,000 postsecondary institutions that receive federal financial assistance and, therefore, must comply with Title IX.”
Justin Murphy, president of the Student Government Association, considers Title IX awareness at UHCL to be strong thanks to the Salutations Title IX training video and test.
“I believe that UHCL has done a phenomenal job in educating students on Title IX through the online testing,” said Murphy. “I believe that Title IX is a great thing for college students to be educated on because it provides the student body with valuable information on how to report sexual assault. By educating ourselves on the policies that the state has, we are able to help not only ourselves but others as well.”
Many aspects of both SB 968 and SB 969 have been in practice in schools prior to the implementation of the law.
SB 969 can be read similarly to SB 1331, commonly called the Texas 911 Lifeline bill.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission stated in a brochure, “The Texas 911 Lifeline bill prevents a person under 21 from being charged by the police for possessing or consuming alcohol if he/she takes a person to receive emergency treatment or calls 911 due to possible overdose of alcohol.”
SB 969 extends the same amnesty to students, faculty and employees on campus. Benson said this amendment is intended to give students the confidence to report allegations of sexual assault, interpersonal violence or stalking without the fear of reprisal for their own actions.
“The UHCL Police Department and the Title IX coordinator meet regularly to discuss initiatives to prevent and respond to sexual violence,” Benson said.
UHCL has maintained online methods of reporting sexual assault, interpersonal violence or stalking to appropriate authorities.
The UHCL Police department has a 24/7 phone line open to any and all reports of sexual assault, interpersonal violence or stalking and can be reached at 281-283-2222.
Students, faculty and staff can currently submit a report to MySafeCampus.com or access resources and find contact information via the Reach Out Editions app for iPhone and Android.