BILL NO. 83
(as introduced)
1st Session, 63rd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
67 Elizabeth II, 2018
Private Member's Bill
Safer Universities and Colleges Act
Lenore Zann
Truro–Bible Hill–Millbrook–Salmon River
First Reading: March 8, 2018
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act to Make Universities
and Colleges Safer Places
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 This Act may be cited as the Safer Universities and Colleges Act.
(a) “Minister” means the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education;
(b) “sexual violence” means any
whether the act is physical or psychological in nature, that is committed, threatened or attempted against a person without the person’s consent, and includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, indecent exposure, voyeurism and sexual exploitation.
3 (1) Each university and college shall adopt a sexual violence policy within six months of the coming into force of this Act.
(2) A university’s or college’s sexual violence policy must
(a) be developed with input from key stakeholders, including students, student union representatives, providers of survivor support services and local sexual assault centres; and
(b) be reviewed, with student involvement, and renewed every four years.
4 Each university and college shall
(a) ensure that each of its campuses has clearly stated complaint procedures and response protocols related to sexual violence, training and prevention programs related to sexual violence and services and supports available for survivors of sexual violence;
(b) support initiatives to reduce sexual violence and sexual harassment and to ensure safer campuses;
(c) ensure that its students have information about preventing sexual violence and sexual harassment and are informed about resources and supports available for survivors of sexual violence; and
(d) make the information referred to in clause (c) available in a student’s first week of orientation, throughout the year and to students in all years of study.
5 (1) Each university and college shall collect from its students and other persons, and provide to the Minister, such data and other information relating to the following as may be requested by the Minister in the manner and form prescribed by the regulations:
(a) the number of times supports, services and accommodation relating to sexual violence are requested and obtained by students enrolled at the university or college and information about the supports, services and accommodation;
(b) any initiatives and programs established by the university or college to promote awareness of the supports and services available to students;
(c) the number of incidents and complaints of sexual violence reported by students and information about such incidents and complaints; and
(d) the implementation and effectiveness of its sexual violence policy.
(2) Each university and college shall make public the information referred to in subsection (1) with the exception of personal information.
6 (1) The Minister may make regulations relating to
(a) sexual violence involving students enrolled at universities and colleges;
(b) sexual violence policies, including
- (i) processes that must be followed and persons who must be consulted in the development, approval, review and amendment of sexual violence policies and governing how student input must be provided and considered in such development, review and amendment,
(ii) topics that must be addressed or elements that must be included in sexual violence policies,
(iii) the provision of training for faculty, staff, students and other persons about sexual violence policies,
(iv) the publication of sexual violence policies and the promotion of awareness of the policies, and
(v) appropriate supports, services and accommodation relating to sexual violence to be provided to students affected by sexual violence, and governing such supports, services and accommodation and their provision;
(c) the creation of an advisory committee on sexual violence on post-secondary education campuses, which committee must include representation from key stakeholders, including students, student union representatives, providers of survivor support services and local sexual assault centres;
(d) any matter or thing the Minister considers necessary or advisable to effectively carry out the intent and purpose of this Act.
(2) The exercise by the Minister of the authority contained in subsection (1) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2018 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created March 8, 2018. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
