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Are U.S. university and college campuses doing enough to stop sexual assaults? There are some in the United States Senate who say, "No".

On Wednesday, July 30, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, along with seven other senators, announced they were sponsoring a bill (The Campus Accountability and Safety Act) that would enforce stiffer penalties on U.S. colleges and universities which fail to take the steps necessary to curb sexual assault on their campuses.

If a college or university fails to report sexual assault crimes, which is currently a federal law, the bill would provide for sanctions on them.  The fine would be raised from $35 thousand to $150 thousand per violation. If they fail to investigate reports of sexual assault on their campuses, they could be fined up to one percent of their operating budgets, according the USAToday July 30, 2014.

Approximately 19 percent of undergraduate women have been victims of sexual assault, reports the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Anonymous annual surveys of students asking about any campus sexual assaults are the key component of the new bill.  The results are required to be posted on-line for parents to view when making choices with their teens of which college or university to attend.

The Senate Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight released a survey of a national sample of 236 colleges and universities.  The survey found that 41 percent had not conducted any investigations of alleged sexual assaults over the last five years even when some reported sexual violence incidents to the Department of Education during that time.

Time Magazine reports on its website, Time.com,  that the "United States Department of Education is currently investigating 55 colleges and universities that may have violated federal law in their flawed handling of accusations of assault. (An estimated one in five women are sexually assaulted in some way while in college, though the bulk of victims fail to report to authorities."

Some of the requirements colleges and universities would  have under the provisions of the Campus Accountability and Safety Act are to:

• Designate confidential advisors who coordinate services for the survivor.
• Train campus personnel involved in sexual assault-related services to they have a "firm understanding of the nature of these crimes and their effect on survivors."
• Not allowing athletic departments, or similar subgroups of students, to handle complaints of sexual violence for members of the group.
• Coordinate efforts with local law enforcement agencies.

Sending children off to college may be a daunting affair for most families. In addition to the preparations, families must also prepare for the new environment their students will be entering as they leave home, many for the first time.  In June we ran a blog: Preparing Your Child for College - Part One - What they need to know about sexual assaults on college campuses. We, at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. remind parents and college students to be careful on campus.

Personal Injury Attorney,  Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.