Title: REACH Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Report and Educate About Campus Hazing Act or the REACH Act
This bill addresses hazing incidents that involve students attending an institution of higher education (IHE). Hazing means an intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a student, or a former student, of an IHE against another student, 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; and (2) contributes to a substantial risk of physical injury, mental harm, or degradation or causes physical injury, mental harm or personal degradation.
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 that includes information on hazing awareness, hazing prevention, and the IHE's policies on hazing.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 662 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 662

 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

                            January 17, 2019

 Ms. Fudge (for herself, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Deutch, 
 Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Fleischmann, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Omar, 
Mr. Khanna, Mr. Duncan, Mrs. Murphy, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Ms. Johnson 
 of Texas, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Scott of 
 Virginia, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Hill of Arkansas, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, 
 Ms. Blunt Rochester, Ms. Moore, Mr. Lewis, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mrs. 
    Demings, Ms. Underwood, Mrs. McBath, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. 
  Cleaver, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Lawson of Florida, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. 
 Clay, Mr. Richmond, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Horsford, 
 Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs. Lawrence, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. McEachin, Mr. 
 Butterfield, Mr. Evans, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Adams, 
Mr. Allred, and Mr. Jeffries) introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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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