Posted: | August 30, 2017 12:12 PM |
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From: | Senator Anthony H. Williams |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | It’s On Us – Affirmative Consent |
In the near future, I will be offering legislation to advance The It’s On Us PA initiative, launched by Governor Wolf in January 2016. The initiative is built off the national It’s On Us movement pioneered by President Obama and Vice President Biden to end sexual assault on college campuses. It asks all Pennsylvanians to make a personal commitment to be part of the solution. Pennsylvania is the first state in the nation to adopt a statewide campaign. This piece of the legislative package requires postsecondary institutions to adopt what are known as ‘affirmative consent’ (“yes means yes”) standards for responding to allegations of sexual violence, and will expand the state’s current K-12 health education standards to explicitly address areas of consent and healthy relationships in middle and high school, using curriculum developed by PDE. Students will learn the importance of consent in a healthy relationship, as well as how to report assault, harassment, stalking, and other forms of dating violence. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to reduce incidents of sexual misconduct throughout Pennsylvania. Questions or comments may be directed to my legislative director, Kyle Miller, at 717-787-5970 or kmiller@pasenate.com. |