Connecticut House overwhelmingly adopts affirmative-consent bill

Article here. Excerpt:

'The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill late Thursday that requires colleges and universities in Connecticut to use a standard of “affirmative consent” when developing policies on sexual assault.

Institutional policies also must include clear statements advising students and employees of the affirmative-consent standard. The measure, which passed 138-7 and now heads to the Senate, only applies to institutional disciplinary matters and not to criminal cases.

“It clarifies that a yes-means-yes policy will be the policy for the state of Connecticut for all public and private colleges,” said Rep. Gregory Haddad, D-Mansfield, who serves on the legislature’s Higher Education Committee and who introduced the bill. “The presence of ‘yes’ is required rather than just the lack of ‘no’ ” in determining consensual sexual activity.

One in five women nationally, and one in 16 men, are assaulted during their college career, Haddad said, adding that while affirmative-consent-based policies are in place at most colleges and universities in Connecticut, they vary considerably in scope.
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Rep. Gail Lavielle, R-Wilton, told the story of a constituent wrongfully accused of sexual assault and later exonerated, adding that false claims leave lasting problems for the accused. “There are also those who can be wrongfully accused, and we owe them the same concern, and I hope we will be dealing with it in the future,” she said.'