Requires institution of higher education to provide victim-centered training to employees who assist student victims of sexual assault.

S3823

SENATE, No. 3823

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

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INTRODUCED MARCH 5, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� M. TERESA RUIZ

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires institution of higher education to provide
victim-centered training to employees who assist student victims of sexual
assault.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning sexual assault at institutions of higher
education and supplementing chapter 61E of Title 18A of the New Jersey
Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� An institution of higher
education shall provide victim-centered training to an employee of the
institution who is involved in the receipt of a report made by a student who is
the victim of an alleged incident of sexual assault, the referral or provision
of services to the victim, or any campus disciplinary proceedings that result from
the alleged incident.� The training shall also be provided to a student
enrolled in the institution who is appointed to serve as a residence-life
advisor, peer advisor, or in a similar position, and an employee or contracted
service provider that provides campus security.� The training shall be provided
annually.

���� The training shall ensure that
a student who reports an incident of sexual assault to the institution receives
an appropriate victim-centered response.� The training shall be designed to
improve the trainee�s ability to:

���� a.���� understand the sexual
assault policies of the institution;

���� b.��� understand the relevant provisions
of the �Campus Sexual Assault Victim�s Bill of Rights� established pursuant to P.L.1994,
c.160 (C.18A:61E-1 et seq.), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C.
s.1681 et seq.), and the �Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and
Campus Crime Statistics Act� (20 U.S.C. s.1092(f));

���� c.���� understand the roles of
the institution, medical providers, law enforcement, and community agencies in ensuring
a coordinated response to a reported incident of sexual assault;

���� d.��� provide services to, or
assist in locating services for, the victim, as appropriate; and

���� e.���� communicate sensitively
and compassionately with the victim of a sexual assault.

���� For purposes of this section,
"victim-centered response" means a systematic focus on the needs and
concerns of a victim of sexual assault that: ensures the compassionate and
sensitive delivery of services in a nonjudgmental manner; ensures an understanding
of how trauma affects victim behavior; maintains victim safety, privacy and,
where possible, confidentiality; and recognizes that a victim is not
responsible for the sexual assault.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall first apply to the academic year next following
the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires each institution
of higher education to annually provide victim-centered training to an employee
of the institution who is involved in the receipt of a report made by a student
who is the victim of an alleged incident of sexual assault, the referral or
provision of services to the victim, or any campus disciplinary proceedings
that result from the alleged incident.� The training must also be provided to a
student enrolled in the institution who is appointed to serve as a
residence-life advisor, peer advisor, or in a similar position, and an employee
or contracted service provider that provides campus security.� The training
must include information that ensures that the student receives an appropriate
victim-centered response upon reporting an incident of sexual assault.�
Specifically, the training must seek to improve the ability of the trainee to:

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understand the sexual assault policies of the institution;

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understand the relevant provisions of certain State and federal
laws;

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understand the role of the institution, medical providers, law
enforcement, and community agencies in ensuring a coordinated response to a
reported incident of sexual assault;

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provide services to, or assist in locating services for, the
victim, as appropriate; and

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communicate sensitively and compassionately with the victim of a
sexual assault.