CA ‘Affirmative Consent’ Bill Tackles Campus Sexual Assault

campus-sex-assault-facebook-v3a-620w
Image via World Class Citizenry Label

Sexual assault is a huge problem on college campuses across America. Anyone not living under a rock knows that. The handling of such incidences is also a problem. Many colleges have come under fire for trying to sweep incidences of sexual assault under the rug, even to the point of threatening the victims of these crimes with punishment or expulsion for coming forward. Well, California is finally stepping up to do something about the issue with a new ‘Affirmative Consent’ bill. If it becomes law, this bill would require a complete overhaul of policies regarding sexual assault at campuses across the state of California.


Named SB 967, the bill would require complete, clear, and affirmative consent from all partners participating in sexual activity. If a person is too intoxicated to understand what is going on, consent can not be given. Further, consent can be revoked at any time during the sex act, and if other partners do not stop, consensual sex becomes sexual assault. Further, the bill makes it clear that silence and/or lack of resistance or a “no” does not equal affirmative consent.

In addition to affirmative consent, should SB 967 become law, colleges across the state that receive state or federal funding will have to implement new support services for sexual assault victims, as well as implement campus wide education on the issues of date violence, domestic violence, and sexual assault.

The bill was written by Senator Kevin De Leon (D- Los Angeles) and Hannah-Beth Jackson (D- Santa Barbara). De Leon says of the problem with sexual assault on American college campuses:

“These are our daughters, they are our sisters, they are our nieces.?It is incumbent on men, in particular, to step up and to stand up and to do everything possible to change that culture ? a culture that’s quite pervasive on our college campus. That is a rape culture.”


I have to agree with the Senator. I know that what he is saying is true, and that it has been true for a very long time. I went to a large University with a thriving Greek life culture. I knew of multiple instances of sexual assault, particularly at parties held at fraternity houses. What did the school do? They asked the victims what they were wearing, if they had been drinking, if they were sure it was rape and not just something they regretted doing. In other words, they blamed the victims and swept the allegations away. The fact that more than 50 colleges and universities nationwide are currently under investigation by the federal government for their negligence in the handling of sex crimes on their campuses means that my experiences are not isolated. This sort of culture is pervasive across the nation, just a part of what it means to go to college and live on campus at this point, which is disgraceful.

Hopefully, California Governor Jerry Brown signs this bill into law. As the first of its kind, it could be a huge and meaningful step toward ending rape culture on college campuses and beyond.

Let us know your thoughts at the Liberal America Facebook page. Sign up for our free daily newsletter to receive more great stories like this one.

I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.