President Joe Biden has signed into law the first federal anti-hazing legislation, culminating a lengthy effort by victims' families for more transparency and accountability on college campuses.
USA Today reports that the Stop Campus Hazing Act requires universities to start collecting hazing statistics to include in regular public reports.
The requirements could kick in as soon as next week and affect many campus groups.
Federal statutes require colleges and universities to disclose crimes that occur on their campuses each year. Yet despite the sometimes violent and fatal nature of hazing, schools have never been required by the federal government to disclose statistics about how often it happens, especially within fraternities and sororities that target their new members.
With the new law in place, many colleges will have to reconcile their existing protocols with the new federal requirements. The law also pushes schools to begin comprehensive hazing prevention programs and identify which student groups are found in violation of anti-hazing rules.
