This protects students who might be drinking underage or engaged in substance abuse to still come forward. The bill also contains an amnesty clause for both victims and bystanders who might have broken the code of student conduct. She said the bill passed still intact with language that requires that institutions of higher education maintain affirmative consent standards.
“We want people to be supported,” Taylor said. That amendment removed specific language about trauma-informed investigation policies and a requirement for college campuses to have official linkages to sexual assault providers in the communities where the the campuses reside.Īlexandria Taylor, executive director of New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, said the organization would look for other ways to ensure institutions of higher education have linkages to providers so that when an incident happens, officials can make referrals. The bill was amended in the Senate Judiciary Committee in the final days of the session. Liz Thomson, D-Albuquerque, was a bill brought forward in response to the sexual assault allegations made last year on New Mexico State University’s basketball team. If signed, advocates hope it will make college campuses safer. The bill to mandate affirmative consent policies and procedures in institutions of higher education awaits the governor’s signature.