Sponsors (146)
The bill strengthens student harassment protections, reporting, and campus support through targeted grants and retained civil-rights remedies, at the cost of new federal spending and increased administrative, privacy, and litigation burdens for colleges and taxpayers.
Students — including LGBTQ+ students and students with disabilities — gain explicit, broadened protections against harassment (including online harassment) under institutional policy.
Students and campus employees get clearer, more accessible reporting procedures with a designated office and tracking, improving accountability and the ability to follow complaints through to resolution.
Students at colleges and universities will have expanded access to prevention programs, counseling, and support services funded or enabled by grants, improving campus safety and survivor support.
All U.S. taxpayers fund an additional federal grant program costing $50 million per year from 2026–2031.
Colleges and universities will face increased administrative and compliance costs — revising reporting systems, documenting incidents, applying for grants, and meeting reporting requirements — which could strain campus budgets and staff.
Requirements to include detailed descriptions of harassment incidents risk exposing sensitive information and harming complainant or accused privacy if records are not carefully protected or redacted.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Mark Pocan · Last progress September 18, 2025
Requires colleges and universities that participate in federal student-aid programs to adopt and report an anti-harassment policy that covers protected traits (including race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, pregnancy, and intersex status) and expressly prohibits harassment via electronic messaging, mobile services, and other technology. Establishes a competitive federal grant program to help institutions start, expand, or improve prevention and response programs, funds evaluations and best-practice guidance, and authorizes $50 million per year for 2026–2031. The law preserves existing civil-rights and disability-law remedies and procedures, increases institutional reporting and transparency about harassment incidents and outcomes, and requires designated campus personnel, notice of support services, procedural protections for reporters and respondents, and public reporting and evaluation of funded programs.