House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

Posted:	December 7, 2017 05:00 PM
From:	Representative Thomas R. Caltagirone
To:	All House members
Subject:	Incentivize Colleges and Universities to Provide a Safe Campus Free of Sexual Violence

In the near future I intend to introduce legislation that will help protect college students in Pennsylvania from being charged a “rape tax” if they are victims of rape or sexual assault on a college campus. Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania have a duty to provide a safe environment for all students and if they fail there should be financial consequences to the institution. Under my proposal, if a student(s) is a victim of sexual assault or rape on a college or university campus and the victim withdraws from school as a result of the assault or rape without receiving a degree, the college or university shall pay all of the outstanding tuition and student loans accrued while the victim was attending that institution. After reading the attached article, I decided we as policy makers must be more aggressive in demanding our institutions of higher learning provide a safer environment for all students. The statistics bare out that colleges and university have not done enough to protect and accommodate survivors of sexual violence. I believe it’s inhumane to victimize these students every time they receive a monthly student loan bill if they were not able to complete their degree because of an on campus sexual assault or rape. I hope you will join me in providing help, hope and healing to these student survivors of sexual violence.
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