mestic violence, dating violence, and stalk-
ing; 
‘‘(V) perpetration of domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, sexual assault, and 
stalking; and 
‘‘(VI) any other issues relating to sex- 
based, race-based, national origin-based, 
sexual-orientation based, gender-identity 
based, and disability-based discrimination, 
harassment, assault, domestic violence, 
dating violence, and assault, as appro-
priate.’’. 
SEC. 5. CREATION OF A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION. 
Section 485(f)(14) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(14)) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(14)(A) Subject to subparagraph (C), an aggrieved 
individual may allege a violation of this subsection in a 
judicial proceeding. A court may award an aggrieved indi-
vidual all appropriate relief, including equitable relief, 
compensatory damages, cost of the action, and remedial 
action. 
‘‘(B) This paragraph shall not be construed to pre-
clude an aggrieved individual from obtaining other rem-
edies under any other provision of law or to require such 
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individual to exhaust any administrative complaint process 
or notice-of-claim requirement before seeking redress 
under this paragraph. 
‘‘(C) For actions brought pursuant to this paragraph, 
the statute of limitations period shall be determined in ac-
cordance with section 1658(a) of title 28, United States 
Code. The tolling of any such limitations period shall be 
determined in accordance with section 1979 of the Revised 
Statutes of the United States (42 U.S.C. 1983) in the 
forum State.’’. 
SEC. 6. INCREASE OF CLERY ACT PENALTIES. 
Section 485(f)(13) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(13)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘in the same amount and’’; and 
(2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
following: ‘‘, expect that such section shall be applied 
by substituting ‘$100,000’ for ‘$25,000’ ’’. 
SEC. 7. NOTIFICATION OF POLICIES AIMED AT PREVEN-
TION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (8) of section 485(f) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(f)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraphs: 
‘‘(D) The statement of policy described in subpara-
graph (A) shall be— 
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‘‘(i) written using simple and understandable 
language and clear formatting; and 
‘‘(ii) made available and posted on the institu-
tion’s public website, and in conspicuous places, in-
cluding places in and around student housing, resi-
dence halls, student health centers, student recre-
ation centers, the main student center on campus, 
and academic buildings where students congregate 
and are likely to see it. 
‘‘(E) The statement of policy described in subpara-
graph (A) shall be provided, on an annual basis, to each 
student group, student team, or student organization 
which is part of such institution, is recognized by the insti-
tution, or permitted by the institution to use its name or 
facilities or is known by the institution to act as an unaf-
filiated student group, student team, or student organiza-
tion, and each institution of higher education described in 
subparagraph (A) shall ensure that each such group, 
team, or organization distributes a copy of such policy to 
each of its members as well as each of its applicants for 
membership, including plebes, pledges, or similar appli-
cants. 
‘‘(F) An institution’s compliance with subparagraph 
(E) with respect to an unaffiliated student group, student 
team, or student organization shall not constitute evidence 
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of the institution’s recognition or endorsement of such un-
affiliated group, team, or organization.’’. 
(b) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW.—Not later 
than August 1, 2017, the Comptroller General shall report 
to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
Education, and Labor of the Senate on— 
(1) the implementation of section 485(f)(8) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1092(f)(8)), as amended by subsection (a), includ-
ing— 
(A) the extent to which institutions of 
higher education have developed the statement 
of policy required under subparagraph (A) of 
such section; 
(B) how institutions of higher education 
are— 
(i) distributing such statement of pol-
icy; and 
(ii) determining whether the policy is 
received and understood by students; and 
(C) the Secretary of Education’s oversight 
of the compliance of institutions of higher edu-
cation with respect to the statement of policy 
requirements under such section, including ef-
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forts, in consultation with the Attorney General, 
to provide technical assistance to institutions of 
higher education in complying with such re-
quirements; and 
(2) any changes in the numbers of dating vio-
lence, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking 
incidents reported to campus security authorities or 
local police agencies as indicated by the annual secu-
rity reports distributed under of section 485(f)(1) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1092(f)(1)). 
SEC. 8. CAMPUS SEXUAL VIOLENCE TASK FORCE. 
(a) CAMPUS SEXUAL VIOLENCE TASK FORCE.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Education and the Attorney General 
shall create a joint interagency task force to be known as 
the ‘‘Campus Sexual Violence Task Force’’ that shall— 
(1) provide pertinent information to the Sec-
retary of Education, Attorney General, Congress, 
and the public with respect to campus sexual vio-
lence prevention, investigations, and responses, in-
cluding the creation of a consistent, public complaint 
processes for violations of title IX of the Education 
Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and 
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section 485(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1092(f)); 
(2) provide recommendations to institutions of 
higher education for establishing sexual assault pre-
vention and response teams; 
(3) develop recommendations for institutions of 
higher education on providing survivor resources, in-
cluding healthcare, rape kits, sexual assault nurse 
examiners, and access to confidential advocacy and 
support services; 
(4) develop recommendations for best practices 
for responses and prevention with respect to sexual 
violence for educational institutions, taking into con-
sideration an institution’s size and resources; 
(5) solicit input from survivors, advocates from 
national, State, and local anti-sexual violence advo-
cacy organizations, institutions of higher education, 
and other public stakeholders; 
(6) assess the Department of Education’s abil-
ity under section 902 of the Education Amendments 
of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1682) to levy intermediate fines 
for noncompliance with title IX of the Education 
Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and 
the advisability of additional remedies for such non-
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compliance, in addition to the remedies already 
available under Federal law; and 
(7) create a plan described in subsection (c). 
(b) PERSONNEL DETAILS.— 
(1) AUTHORITY TO DETAIL.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the head of an element 
of any Federal agency is that is funded under the 
Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 
13925 et seq.) may detail an officer or employee of 
such element to the Campus Sexual Violence Task 
Force or to the Secretary of Education to assist the 
Task Force with the duties described in subsection 
(a), as jointly agreed to by the head of such element 
and the Task Force. 
(2) BASIS
FOR
DETAIL.—A personnel detail 
made under paragraph (1) may be made— 
(A) for a period of not more than 3 years; 
and 
(B) on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable 
basis. 
(c) ADDITIONAL PLAN.—Not later than 270 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Campus Sex-
ual Violence Task Force shall submit to Congress a plan 
for recruiting, retaining, and training a highly-qualified 
workforce employed by the Department of Education to 
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carry out investigation of complaints alleging a violation 
of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 
U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) or section 485(f) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(f)), and enforcement 
of such title IX (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) or such section 
485(f) (20 U.S.C. 1092(f)), with respect to campus sexual 
violence. Such plan shall include— 
(1) an assessment of the capabilities of the cur-
rent workforce carrying out such investigation and 
enforcement; 
(2) an examination of issues of recruiting, re-
tention, and the professional development of such 
workforce, including the possibility of providing re-
tention bonuses or other forms of compensation for 
the purpose of ensuring the Department of Edu-
cation has the capacity, in both personnel and skills, 
needed to properly perform its mission and provide 
adequate oversight of educational institutions; 
(3) an assessment of the benefits of outreach 
and training with both law enforcement agencies and 
institutions of higher education with respect to such 
workforce; 
(4) developing best practices for interviewing 
and investigating sexual violence, including guidance 
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on evidentiary standards for administrative re-
sponses; 
(5) an examination of best practices for making 
institutions of higher education aware of the most 
effective campus sexual violence prevention, inves-
tigation, and response practices and identifying 
areas where more research should be conducted; and 
(6) strategies for addressing such other matters 
as the Secretary of Education considers necessary to 
campus sexual violence prevention, investigation, and 
responses. 
(d) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Campus Sexual Violence 
Task Force shall report to Congress on an annual basis, 
and make publicly available, a report of its activities and 
any update of the plan required under subsection (c), in-
cluding the number of complaints received regarding sex-
ual violence (including violence on the basis of sexual ori-
entation and gender identity), the number of open inves-
tigations, the average time to complete an investigation, 
the number of investigations initiated based on com-
plaints, and the number of investigations initiated by the 
Department of Education. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) TITLE
IX
OF
THE
EDUCATION
AMEND-
MENTS OF 1972.—There are authorized to be appro-
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priated for training, hiring, and retaining a work-
force exclusively dedicated to investigation and en-
forcement of title IX of the Education Amendments 
of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) provisions with re-
spect to sexual violence, for fiscal year 2016 and 
each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years, an amount 
that is equal to the sum of the amounts appro-
priated for such purpose for fiscal year 2015 plus 
$5,000,000. 
(2) SECTION
485(F)
OF
THE
HIGHER
EDU-
CATION ACT OF 1965.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated for training, hiring, and retaining a 
workforce exclusively dedicated to investigation and 
enforcement of section 485(f) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(f)), for fiscal 
year 2016 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years, 
an amount that is equal to the sum of the amounts 
appropriated for such purpose for fiscal year 2015 
plus $5,000,000. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘educational institution’’ includes 
an institution of higher education, an elementary 
school, or a secondary school. 
(2) The terms ‘‘elementary school’’ and ‘‘sec-
ondary school’’ have the meanings given the terms 
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in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(3) The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 102 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 
(4) The term ‘‘sexual assault’’ has the meaning 
of an offense that meets the definition of rape, fond-
ling, incest, or statutory rape under— 
(A) the Uniform Crime Report of the Fed-
eral Bureau of Investigation; and 
(B) the final regulations published by the 
Department of Education in the Federal Reg-
ister on October 20, 2014 for Appendix A of 
subpart D of part 668, Code of Federal Regula-
tions (79 Fed. Reg. 62752). 
SEC. 9. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
Section 485(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1092(f)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(F)(i)(II), by striking ‘‘sex 
offenses, forcible or nonforcible’’ and inserting ‘‘sex-
ual assault’’; and 
(2) by amending paragraph (6)(A)(v) to read as 
follows: 
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