The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 16 : Education

Chapter 003 : STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Subchapter 002 : POSTSECONDARY SCHOOLS

• § 183. Intercollegiate Sexual Harm Prevention Council

  (a) Creation. There is created the Intercollegiate Sexual Harm Prevention Council to create a coordinated response to campus sexual harm across institutions of higher learning in Vermont.

  (b) Membership.

  (1) The Council shall be composed of the following members:

  (A) a Title IX coordinator and a campus-based sexual harm prevention/education coordinator from an institution of higher learning, appointed by the Chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges;

  (B) a Title IX coordinator and a campus-based sexual harm prevention/education coordinator from an institution of higher learning, appointed by the President of the University of Vermont;

  (C) a Title IX coordinator and a campus-based sexual harm prevention/education coordinator from an institution of higher learning, appointed by the President of the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges;

  (D) two community-based sexual violence advocates, appointed by the Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence;

  (E) two law enforcement or public safety representatives with experience responding to and investigating campus sexual violence, appointed by the Commissioner of Public Safety;

  (F) three college students, at least one of whom has lived experience as a sexual violence survivor and one who represents a campus-based racial justice organization, appointed by the Center for Crime Victim Services;

  (G) a person with expertise in sexual violence responses within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community, appointed by the Center for Crime Victim Services;

  (H) a sexual assault nurse examiner, appointed by the Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence;

  (I) a prosecutor with experience in prosecuting sexual violence cases from either the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs or the Office of the Attorney General, appointed by the Attorney General; and

  (J) an attorney with experience in sexual violence cases, appointed by the Defender General.

  (2) To ensure a council that is reflective of Vermont’s college campuses, appointing authorities shall consider diversity when making appointments to the Council.

  (c) Duties. The Council shall:

  (1) review the recommendations from the Report of the Vermont Campus Sexual Harm Task Force and develop prevention solutions to sexual harm based on those recommendations;

  (2) implement interdisciplinary planning and information sharing to support sexual violence prevention programs on every college campus in Vermont;

  (3) undertake an annual review of trends in aggregate data collected by institutions of higher learning regarding sexual violence on college campuses in Vermont;

  (4) identify and share effective practices on violence prevention, sexual health education, and strategies for mitigating sexual harm and secondary impacts of sexual harm on college campuses in Vermont;

  (5) identify campus-wide activities, publications, and services that promote a campus culture of respect to support the prevention of sexual harm;

  (6) recommend statutory protections to the General Assembly not later than November 1, 2021 to ensure that survivors of sexual harm are not punished for reporting an incident of sexual violence due to alcohol, drug use, or other minor conduct violations occurring at or around the time of an assault; and

  (7) create or promote annual training opportunities addressing prevention and sexual assault response processes open to representatives from all Vermont postsecondary schools.

  (d) Assistance. The Council shall have the administrative and technical assistance of the Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

  (e) Report. On or before December 1, 2022 and annually thereafter, the Council shall submit a written report to the General Assembly with a summary of activities and any recommendations for legislative action.

  (f) Meetings.

  (1) The Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence shall call the first meeting of the Council to occur on or before July 15, 2021.

  (2) The Council shall select a chair from among its members at the first meeting.

  (3) A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum.

  (4) The Council shall meet quarterly.

  (5) Members who are not otherwise compensated by the member’s employer for attendance at meetings shall be entitled to per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses as permitted under 32 V.S.A. § 1010. These payments shall be made from monies appropriated to the Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence for such purposes. (Added 2021, No. 68, § 6, eff. June 8, 2021; repealed on July 1, 2025 by 2021, No. 68, § 7; renumbered from 16 V.S.A. § 2187 by 2023, No. 114, § 5; amended 2023, No. 114 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. July 1, 2024.)