Oregon House OKs student sexual harassment, assault bills
Legislation to strengthen and clarify protections against sexual harassment and assault for Oregon students and an extension of the civil statute of limitation for sexual assault passed the Oregon House of Representatives this week.
“The #MeToo movement shined a bright light on the harm caused by sexual harassment and assault in our country,” said Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego). “It showed that while we have been at the forefront of efforts to fight back against these incidents, we still have work to do. I am proud of our efforts to strengthen protections in our public schools, university campuses and for every Oregonian.”
House Bill 3077, which passed the House on Tuesday, makes important technical fixes to strengthen and clarify the reporting and investigation of sexual harassment claims in K-12 schools, officials said.
House Bill 3415, which passed Wednesday, adds Federal Title IX protections on university campuses surrounding sexual assault and harassment to state law. Specifically, it defines sexual harassment for the purposes of Title IX enforcement, specifies the circumstances under which an investigation must commence, and requires that those responsible for conducting Title IX investigations participate in specific annual training.
“Oregon has long been recognized as a leader in advancing policies that target sexual violence on college campuses,” said. Rep. Karin Power, a sponsor of the legislation. “This important legislation will help us lock in the strong protections that are currently in place.”
Another bill that passed Wednesday, House Bill 3293, would extend the civil statute of limitations for sexual assault in Oregon from five to seven years.
“This legislation takes into account that individuals suffering from trauma may need time to recognize the harm that has been done to them,” said chief sponsor Rep. Jennifer Williamson (D-Portland). “As we better understand how individuals experience and process trauma that occurs to them, it is important that we update our state laws accordingly.”
All three bills now go to the Oregon Senate for consideration.
