Days after Tim Piazza’s parents announced a new campaign to fight fraternity hazing, legislation has been introduced requiring incidents of hazing to be included in a college’s annual crime report so that such information is public record, according to a report by mycentraljersey.com.
“The devastating loss of Penn State student and Readington Township resident Timothy Piazza will not be forgotten,” U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance, R-7th District and lead sponsor of the bipartisan Report and Educate About Campus Hazing (REACH) Act, said in a statement. “It is heartbreaking that his young life was tragically cut short.
“I have asked for and received the bipartisan support of my colleagues to lead the REACH Act, legislation that will require colleges and universities to disclose incidents of hazing as part of annual crime reports. This transparency measure will put pressure on college administrators to make sure anti-hazing measures are effective on campuses across the country and ensure the information is being properly reported and crimes are prosecuted.”
The REACH Act adds hazing as one of the crimes required by colleges to disclose in their Annual Security Report. The law also requires colleges to report statistics of referrals for discipline and arrests specific to hazing and implement a hazing education program for students.
