Signed into federal law in December 2024, the Stop Campus Hazing Act (SCHA) contains several new provisions to update university reporting on hazing incidents that occur on college campuses. While some of the reporting requirements would update existing campus reporting structures, such as the annual security reports required by the Clery Act, other requirements in the bill are new for institutions of higher education.
Summary of components:
- Clery Act Requirements. The legislation requires universities to include data on the number of hazing incidents reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies as part of their annual campus security report required by the Clery Act. Universities will be required to include this information as part of their 2026 annual security report. This section also includes definitions for two additional terms for the purposes of reporting hazing statistics in the Clery Act:
- Hazing. Any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed against another person(s) regardless of their willingness to participate that (1) is committed in the course of initiation, affiliation, or maintenance of membership in a student organization; and (2) creates a risk of physical or psychological injury, such as whipping, beating, striking, sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, consumption of food, alcohol, drugs, sexual acts, activities that put someone in reasonable fear of bodily harm, or engagement in criminal violations of local, state, tribal, or federal law.
- Student Organization. An organization at an institution of higher education (such as a club, society, association, athletic team, club sports team, fraternity, sorority, band, or student government) where two or more members of the organization are students enrolled at the university, whether the organization is established or recognized by the institution.
- Statement of Hazing Policy. The bill requires universities to draft a statement of current policies related to hazing, including (1) how to report hazing incidents; and (2) the process used to investigate incidents of hazing on campus. This policy also must include information on any applicable local, state, or tribal laws related to hazing. This provision takes effect 6 months after the bill’s enactment.
- Prevention Program on Hazing. Universities must have a statement of policy regarding their prevention and awareness programs related to hazing, including a “description of research-informed campus-wide prevention programs” that are designed to reach students, staff, and faculty. This prevention program must include information about the university’s hazing policy, as well as primary prevention strategies to stop hazing before it occurs, such as skill building for bystander intervention, information about ethical leadership, and strategies for building group cohesion without hazing. This provision also takes effect 6 months after the bill’s enactment.
- Campus Hazing Transparency Report. SCHA requires a new reporting mechanism for universities via the creation of a Campus Hazing Transparency Report. This report will summarize the incidents associated with any student organization found to be in violation of the institution’s standards of conduct related to hazing. Institutions must begin collecting this information in July 1, 2025 and start posting the information publicly on their websites within one year of the bill’s enactment. Additionally, universities must update the public report at least twice a year to show any new incidents involving student organizations found responsible for a hazing violation. For each student organization listed, the report also must include:
- Name of student organization;
- General description of the hazing violation, including whether it involved the use of drugs or alcohol;
- Findings of the institution about the violation and if sanctions were placed on the organization; and
- Dates for when the incident occurred, when investigation was initiated, when the finding of responsibility of the hazing violation occurred; and when the institution notified the organization of the finding.
The report may (but is not required to) include additional information the university deems necessary, as well as any other information required by state law. It may not include any personally identifiable information about individual students in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The report must be in a prominent location on the university’s public website and include information about (1) the Clery Act hazing statistics noted above; (2) the institution’s hazing policies; and (3) updates made to the report going back for a period of five calendar years since the publication of the report. The bill states institutions do not have to post a report until there is a finding of a hazing violation on their campus, and the report does not need to be updated twice a year if there is no finding of a hazing violation during that time period.
Resources to support your prevention work:
Hazing Prevention Network Programs
Hazing Prevention Network Membership
Additional Resources including webinars (and recorded webinars) available in the main menu above.
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