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2003 SESSION

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SB 864 Hazing.

Introduced by: Richard L. Saslaw | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

Hazing. Defines hazing to mean recklessly or intentionally endangering the health or safety of or to inflict bodily injury on a student in connection with or for the purpose of initiation, admission into or affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in a club, organization, association, fraternity, sorority, or student body, whether or not the victim student voluntarily participated in the activity. The bill eliminates the references to "otherwise mistreating" in favor of the single term "hazing" and substitutes the policies and procedures used by the institution for the former sole remedy of expulsion. This bill is identical to HB 1617.

SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE:

Hazing. Defines hazing to mean recklessly or intentionally endangering the health or safety of or to inflict bodily injury on a student in connection with or for the purpose of initiation, admission into or affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in a club, organization, association, fraternity, sorority, or student body, whether or not the victim student voluntarily participated in the activity. The bill eliminates the references to "otherwise mistreating" in favor of the single term "hazing" and substitutes the policies and procedures used by the institution for the former sole remedy of expulsion.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Hazing. Revises the hazing law to authorize public educational institutions to sanction and discipline, in accordance with the institutions' policies and procedures, students found guilty of hazing or mistreating another student so as to cause bodily injury. Public institutions' policies and procedures must provide for expulsions or other appropriate discipline based on the facts and circumstances of each case. The president or other presiding official of the public institution must report such hazing incidents to the attorney for the Commonwealth of the relevant jurisdiction, who must present the evidence to the grand jury for the jurisdiction that is convened after the report is made. Hazing or otherwise mistreating so as to cause bodily injury is defined as recklessly or intentionally endangering the health or safety of a student or students in connection with or for the purpose of initiation, admission into or affiliation with or as a condition for continued membership in a club, organization, association, fraternity, sorority, or student body that causes or results in bodily injury regardless of whether the student or students so injured participated voluntarily in the relevant activity. The provisions of this section will be in addition to and not in lieu of or to supercede any other applicable federal or state law or local ordinance, including, but not limited to, criminal laws on assault, assault and battery, bodily wounding, sexual assault, and the unlawful possession, purchasing, handling, or furnishing of alcohol, controlled substances or marijuana, firearms or other weapons.