Title: REACH Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Report and Educate About Campus Hazing Act or the REACH Act
This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify campus security reporting requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student aid programs. Specifically, an IHE must disclose hazing incidents that were reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies in its annual security report.
In addition, each IHE must provide students with an educational program on hazing, which includes information on hazing awareness, hazing prevention, and the IHE's policies on hazing.
Hazing means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a student, or a former student, of an IHE against another student, that: (1) was committed in connection with an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, any organization that is affiliated with the IHE; and (2) contributes to a substantial risk of physical injury, mental harm, or degradation or causes physical injury, mental harm or personal degradation.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2926 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2926

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2017

 Mr. Meehan (for himself and Ms. Fudge) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 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)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (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 by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(vi) 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, 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; 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)(vi).''

SEC. 5. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ON HAZING.

    Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(30) The institution will provide students with an 
        educational program on hazing (as that term is defined in 
        section 485(f)(6)(A)(vi)), which shall include information on 
        hazing awareness, hazing prevention, and institution's policies 
        on hazing.''.
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