On September 28, 2014, California governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that will change the way universities investigate sexual assault reports and define consent. SB967 will hopefully become the new standard when it comes to the issue of sexual assault on college campuses.
The legislation rejects the adage of “no means no” in favor of “yes means yes” where consent is defined as “an affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity” and silence of lack or resistance does not mean consent. This means that anyone who is unconscious or under the influence of drugs or alcohol cannot give consent.
Sexual assault on college campuses has always been a huge issue and the way these cases were handled has been an area of contention. There has been too much inconsistency and too many times where justice was not served.
This bill will not only help provide justice to survivors, but will also help to prevent these heinous crimes from happening in the first place. The clarity of “yes means yes” means there is little room for anyone to be confused on what consent is and if they were or were not given it. If the person didn’t say yes or make his or her yes very clear, then there’s no consent. “Yes means yes” will educate everyone on what it means to have and give consent.
Hopefully, SB967 will become the precedent in college campus sexual assault legislation and more states will adopt similar laws to make their universities a safer, happier environment for their students. If you want to do your part in getting legislation like this to be a norm, write to our Pennsylvania legislators and voice your support for a bill like this!