Colleges will be required to build stronger sexual assault education and victims’ rights programs, if a Senate bill introduced last Thursday is signed into law.

The proposed changes to the Clery Act – a law from 1990 that dictates how universities report crime statistics and issue crime warnings – call for schools to define sexual assault victims’ rights in writing, as well as foster a preventative and supportive campus culture.

“What we’re hoping that it will do is expand the rights that are afforded to students who are sexually assaulted on campus,” Melissa Lucchesi, outreach education coordinator at national campus security nonprofit Security On Campus, said.

Lucchesi said the bill highlights prevention efforts and outlines a direction for universities to take to increase awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses.

“Colleges tend to be the hotbed for sexual assaults,” Lucchesi said.

Sexual assault incidents in crime statistics would be broadened to include domestic violence, dating violence and stalking under the proposed changes.

Erin Harpine, the University Police Department’s coordinator of victim services and educational initiatives, said currently UPD reports statistics for forcible and non-forcible sexual assaults, per Department of Education guidelines. Sexual assaults reported to campus security officials are also posted onto UPD’s online crime log and tracked for statistical purposes, Captain of Investigations and Special Operations Mark Balazik said.

The potential Clery amendments come at a time when campus sexual assaults are already facing increased scrutiny from the federal government.

Two weeks ago, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan introduced new guidelines for colleges to handle sexual assault cases under Title IX – an equality law that prohibits gender discrimination at all schools receiving federal funding.

Colleges must respond to sexual assault cases swiftly, take steps to prevent incidents from repeating and address their effects, according to the new guidelines.

The proposed Senate bill also calls for bystander intervention and shifting campus culture to become more supportive of victims. Lucchesi said a lack of active programming and education on sexual assault leads to a “dangerous situation that supports a culture of sexual violence on campus.”

Lucchesi said schools have the Clery Act and portions of Title IX for guidance, but the heightened attention surrounding the issue recently can push universities to actively prevent sexual assault.

Harpine said UPD works to help victims feel safe, educate them on medical, reporting, legal and judicial courses of action, and refer them to on and off-campus resources. UPD also offers self-defense courses to teach students how to defend themselves if assaulted.

The Sexual Assault Crisis Consultation Team – run by UPD – offers trained volunteers to assist sexual assault victims 24 hours a day, Harpine said.

“The SACC Team is GW’s primary resource for survivors and can facilitate putting survivors in touch with further resources both at GW and beyond the University,” Harpine said.

Harpine and Balazik said they cannot speculate specifically how the University will enhance its sexual assault education programs or data reporting procedures if the proposed bill is enacted.