Sen. Tim Kaine reintroduces S.O.S. bill to protect college sexual assault victims

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - After an unsuccessful first attempt, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) has brought back the ”Survivor Outreach and Support” (S.O.S.) Campus Act to support victims of sexual assault on campus.

Kaine said the bill would help address an increase of people not reporting sexual assaults on campus. Many changes to Title IX reporting were finalized in 2020, and in a report done by AP News, the Title IX Association of Administrators estimates nearly 90% of sexual misconduct cases are either mishandled or not reported.

If Congress passes it, the new bill will provide formal protections to victims of sexual assault and advocate for programs to help curb sexual assault on campuses.

”It’s really, really important to have advocates on campus that students can turn to and to take seriously the business of training to avoid sexual assaults,” Kaine said.

The bill will require campuses that use federal money — most colleges in the United States — to designate a person to conduct public campaigns on sexual assault prevention and connect victims to resources they may need.