Sex equity: sexual harassment complaints.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the consequences for non-compliance or a clear effective date, which are mentioned in the candidate explanation.

Sexual Harassment Complaints in Schools

This law requires postsecondary educational institutions receiving state financial aid to allow each student involved in a sexual harassment case to have both a support person and an advisor during any stage of the grievance process.

What This Bill Does

• Requires postsecondary educational institutions receiving state financial aid to allow each student involved in a sexual harassment case to have both a support person and an advisor during any stage of the grievance process.

Who It Names or Affects

• Students who file or are involved in sexual harassment complaints at postsecondary educational institutions receiving state financial aid.
• Postsecondary educational institutions that receive state financial assistance and student financial aid.

Terms To Know

Support person

A person who provides emotional support to a student during the sexual harassment complaint process.

Advisor

A person who gives guidance and advice on how to navigate the sexual harassment complaint process.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if schools do not comply with these new requirements.
• It is unclear when exactly this law will take effect since an effective date has not been set yet.

Official Summary Text

AB 1928, as amended, Fong.
Sex equity: sexual harassment complaints.
Existing federal law, known as Title IX, prohibits a person, on the basis of sex, from being excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, or being subject to discrimination, which includes sexual harassment, under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Existing law requires, no later than January 1, 2022, except as specified, the governing board or body of a postsecondary
educational
institution that receives state financial assistance to provide students with procedural protections relating to complaints of sexual harassment, including the requirement to adopt and publish on its internet website grievance procedures providing for the prompt and equitable resolution of sexual harassment
complaints.
complaints filed by a student against an employee or another student.
Existing law requires that the grievance procedures afford both student parties the opportunity to each have a support person or adviser accompany the student party during any stage of the process.
This bill would instead require that the grievance procedures afford each student party the opportunity to have
both
a support person and an
adviser
advisor
accompany the student party during any stage of the process, as specified.
The bill would also require the governing board or body of a postsecondary educational
institution that receives state financial assistance and state student financial aid to allow each complainant or respondent of a sexual harassment complaint to have a support person, in addition to an advisor, accompany the parties of a sexual harassment complaint during the grievance procedures that provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of sexual harassment complaints pursuant to the above-described procedural protections for students or Title IX, as specified.
By imposing new duties on community college districts,
this
the
bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory
provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF