SOS Campus Act

More support for campus sexual-assault survivors

If enacted, the bill would require every college or university that gets Title IV federal aid to name an independent campus sexual assault Advocate with survivor-centered experience. Any campus employee who receives a sexual assault report would have to notify the survivor about the Advocate and provide contact information. With a survivor's consent, the Advocate would give 24/7 information on reporting, emergency and follow-up medical care, and forensic exams. The Advocate would also provide crisis and ongoing counseling, referrals, and legal-service information, and could guide survivors through school, medical, academic, and legal processes. At a survivor's request, the Advocate would be able to attend campus adjudication proceedings and must represent the survivor's interests even if those interests conflict with the institution. Advocates would be protected from discipline or retaliation and must follow strict privacy rules subject to applicable state law. The Education Secretary would issue appointment and oversight rules within 180 days, including that each Advocate report outside the campus investigative and adjudicative body and file an annual report on resource use and the number of male and female survivors helped. The bill would preserve existing rights and duties under the Clery Act and Title IX.