Report and Educate About Campus Hazing Act
Bill: H.R.2525 | Sponsor: Rep. McBath, Lucy (D-GA)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Report and Educate About Campus Hazing Act or the REACH Act
This bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student-aid programs to report hazing incidents and implement hazing education programs.
Specifically, the bill requires each IHE to disclose hazing incidents that were reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies in its annual security report. The bill defines the term hazing to mean any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a student, or a former student, of an IHE against another student (regardless of that student's willingness to participate), that (1) is connected with an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in an organization that is affiliated with the IHE (e.g., an athletic team); and (2) contributes to a substantial risk of physical injury, mental harm, or degradation or causes physical injury, mental harm, or personal degradation.
In addition, each IHE must implement a comprehensive program to prevent hazing, which must include information on hazing awareness, hazing prevention, and the IHE's policies on hazing.

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of 
 higher education to disclose hazing incidents, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Report and Educate About Campus 
Hazing Act'' or the ``REACH Act''.

SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF HAZING INCIDENTS IN ANNUAL SECURITY REPORTS.

    Section 485(f)(1)(F) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1092(f)(1)(F)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i)(IX), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (3) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(iv) of hazing incidents that were reported to 
                campus security authorities or local police 
                agencies.''.

SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF HAZING.

    Section 485(f)(6)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1092(f)(6)(A)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating clauses (iii) through (v) as clauses 
        (iv) through (vi), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after clause (ii) the following:
                    ``(iii) The term `hazing' means any intentional, 
                knowing, or reckless act committed by a student, or a 
                former student, of an institution of higher education, 
                whether individually or in concert with other persons, 
                against another student (regardless of that student's 
                willingness to participate), that--
                            ``(I) was committed in connection with an 
                        initiation into, an affiliation with, or the 
                        maintenance of membership in, any organization 
                        that is affiliated with such institution of 
                        higher education (including any athletic team 
                        affiliated with that institution); and
                            ``(II) contributes to a substantial risk of 
                        physical injury, mental harm, or degradation or 
                        causes physical injury, mental harm, or 
                        personal degradation.''.

SEC. 4. RECORDING OF HAZING INCIDENTS.

    Section 485(f)(7) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1092(f)(7)) is amended by inserting after the second sentence the 
following: ``For hazing incidents, such statistics shall be compiled in 
accordance with the definition of that term in paragraph 
(6)(A)(iii).''.

SEC. 5. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ON HAZING.

    Section 485(f)(8)(B)(i) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1092(f)(8)(B)(i)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking 
        ``and stalking'' and inserting ``stalking, and hazing'';
            (2) in subclause (I)(ff), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (3) in subclause (II), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(III) a comprehensive program to prevent 
                        hazing that shall--
                                    ``(aa) be a campus-wide program for 
                                students, staff, faculty, and other 
                                campus stakeholders (such as alumni and 
                                families of students);
                                    ``(bb) be a research-based program;
                                    ``(cc) be designed and implemented 
                                in partnership with a broad coalition 
                                of campus stakeholders, including 
                                leadership of the institution, faculty, 
                                staff, students, alumni, and families 
                                of students;
                                    ``(dd) include information on 
                                hazing awareness, hazing prevention, 
                                the institution's policies on hazing, 
                                how to report hazing, and the process 
                                used to investigate hazing; and
                                    ``(ee) include skill building for 
                                bystander intervention, information 
                                about ethical leadership, and the 
                                promotion of strategies for building 
                                group cohesion without hazing.''.
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