[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 15, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, Mrs. Feinstein, and Ms. 
        Hirono):
  S. 1483. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require 
institutions of higher education to have an independent advocate for 
campus sexual assault prevention and response; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President. Sexual assault is a major issue on our 
Nation's college campuses. In 2016, the Department of Justice found 
that one in four college women are sexually assaulted while in school. 
Alarmingly, the majority of these crimes will go unreported. The 
consequences of these crimes are often damaging to a student's mental, 
physical, and emotional well-being and the aftermath can drive many 
survivors to drop out of school.
  Sexual assault survivors deserve access to a safe and supportive 
educational environment. I have met with students in Virginia, most 
recently at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech, who have 
expressed the need for someone on campus to turn to for unbiased 
advice, guidance, and support following an assault. Given the 
prevalence of this issue, it is clear that our federal higher education 
policy must do more to prevent sexual assaults and ensure that 
survivors have access to and can navigate through a plethora of 
resources.
  This is why I am pleased to reintroduce today the Survivor Outreach 
and Support Campus Act of 2019 or SOS Campus Act. The SOS Campus Act 
requires every institution of higher education that receives federal 
funding to designate an independent advocate for campus sexual assault 
prevention and response. The advocate will help students access all of 
the resources available to them, both on and off campus, in the wake of 
a sexual assault and will guide them through the process of reporting 
their assault if they choose to do so, acting always in the interests 
of the victim, not the university.
  The SOS Campus Act requires that the confidential advocate is 
responsible for ensuring that survivors, regardless of whether they 
decide to report the crime, have access to emergency and follow-up 
medical care, guidance on reporting assaults to law enforcement, 
medical forensic or evidentiary exams, crisis intervention, and 
information on their legal rights. The advocate will also conduct a 
public information campaign on campus to inform students of their 
services, and train other university staff to provide information to 
students about the advocate.
  I am proud to reintroduce this legislation with Senators Baldwin, 
Hirono and Feinstein, which would ensure all college students across 
our country have access to a supportive advocate for sexual assault 
survivors. It is our responsibility as public servants to advocate 
relentlessly for reforms to prevent sexual assault and protections for 
survivors. I strongly encourage my colleagues in the Senate to consider 
this legislation when we consider reauthorization of the Higher 
Education Act.
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