Are Colleges Ready for the New Anti-Hazing Law?

While higher-ed leaders fret over policy changes expected under President-elect Donald J. Trump, another deadline may be closer on the horizon. If a bill passed by both chambers of Congress is signed into law by December 31, colleges will have to start tracking hazing incidents on January 1. If it’s enacted in 2025, colleges will get another year to prepare. The U.S. Senate last week passed the Stop Campus Hazing Act, which requires colleges that receive federal support to include incidents of hazing by student organizations in their annual security reports. The bill defines hazing as an “intentional, knowing, or reckless” act that a person or group of people commits against another person or group of people, is tied to membership in a student organization, and carries a risk of physical or psychological harm.