State Rep. Sara Cambensy (D-109th District) has introduced legislation that is part of a bipartisan package regarding sexual assault. The bills were crafted as a result of the 2018 investigation into the MSU/ Larry Nassar sexual assault scandal, as well as ongoing investigations into the University of Michigan’s former athletic doctor, Robert Anderson.
The bills are the product of legislators looking at hundreds of pages of documents, in addition to holding committee hearings, meetings with sexual assault survivors, parents, advocacy groups, (add university groups we met with), experts and others. The goal of the package is to amend current state law and put more accountability on reporting and oversight. The bills were passed by both the House and Senate Judiciary Committee last session with overwhelming bipartisan support. However, they died on the Senate floor before being sent to the Governor.
These bills in the Sexual Assault would:
- Require physicians to retain medical records referencing anal or vaginal penetration for 15 years
- Provide sentencing guidelines for physicians intentionally failing to maintain certain medical records.
- Provide permanent loss of medical license for conviction of sexual misconduct under pretext of medical treatment.
- Provide permanent revocation of medical license for sexual misconduct under guise of medical treatment.
- Prohibit using position of authority to prevent reporting of a crime.
- Include athletic trainers as mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse or neglect.
- Require distribution of training package to mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse or neglect.
- Exempt identities of parties proceeding anonymously in civil sexual misconduct actions under FOIA.
- Prohibit using position of authority to prevent reporting of certain crimes to university Title IX coordinator.
“When families send their sons and daughters to college, they deserve to have peace of mind knowing that there are laws in place to protect their children from sexual assault, said Cambensy. “Understanding that there are gaps in our current laws that leave students vulnerable, I’m proud to join this bipartisan package of bills to help push for these reforms. We cannot wait for another story to be published in the news about known predators that were never investigated and held accountable for their actions.”
The bill will prohibit university employees from using their position of authority to prevent reporting of certain crimes to their university Title IX coordinator, putting an end to individuals turning the other way when they are aware of or have been informed that sexual assault has taken place, according to Cambensy.
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