New York’s political leaders have reached a deal on one of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s legislative priorities for 2015, saying they will adopt new laws intended to change the way sexual assaults on all college campuses in the state are handled.
The agreement, announced on Tuesday, proposes legislation that would establish a statewide definition of "affirmative consent," and define consent as a "knowing, voluntary and mutual decision among all participants to engage in sexual activity."
This does not mean students will need to enter into a written contract before every sexual encounter; it is meant to reorient students in terms of how they approach sex, said Assemblywoman Deborah J. Glick, a Manhattan Democrat and chairwoman of the Higher Education Committee.
"It’s a question of putting everyone on notice that they have to be in a consensual situation," Ms. Glick said. "It also sends a message to the institutions that they have to up their game on how sexual assault on campus is viewed and treated."
Read more at The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/nyregion/new-yorks-lawmakers-agree-on-campus-sexual-assault-laws.html