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SB 980 Connecticut Senate · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT IMPROVING SAFETY ON THE CAMPUSES OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

SB 980 requires all colleges and universities in the state to address hate incidents - defined as bias-motivated intimidation, harassment, or threats based on race, religion, or ethnicity - by implementing specific safety measures. By September 1, 2025, each campus must appoint a Title VI coordinator to handle complaints, provide staff training, and collect campus climate data. By January 1, 2026, institutions must adopt policies including real-time staff training for responding to hate incidents during classes, a standardized complaint process with disclosures within one business day (complying with federal student privacy laws), and a campus task force to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia. The bill also mandates campus safety partnerships with local law enforcement to protect student groups at heightened risk of hate crimes.
Issues: ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires higher ed institutions to implement hate incident safety measures, protecting campus environment and supporting educational safety within the education topic.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires staff training and policies to address hate incidents (a form of workplace harassment), directly improving workplace safety for employees.85% confidence
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 22, 2025 Last action Mar 3, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Proposed Bill → Committee Bill · 6 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended from a Proposed Bill to a Committee Bill, incorporating substantive changes including new definitions for hate incidents, intimidation, harassment, and threatening conduct. The Committee Bill adds specific requirements for institutions to appoint Title VI coordinators by September 2025 and adopt hate incident policies by January 2026, with detailed provisions for training, complaint procedures, task force composition, and security partnerships.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to include specific definitions of prohibited conduct and detailed procedural requirements for institutions, moving from general mandates to structured implementation steps.
DEFINITION

New definitions were added for 'hate incident', 'intimidation', 'harassment', and 'threatening' conduct, referencing specific sections of the general statutes.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for institutions to appoint a Title VI coordinator for each campus by September 1, 2025, to handle discrimination complaints and coordinate training.

Added requirement for institutions to adopt hate incident policies by January 1, 2026, including training, complaint procedures, task force creation, and security partnerships.

Detailed task force composition requirements were added, specifying required representation from administration, counseling, police, faculty, staff, students, and residential life.

Security partnership requirements were expanded to include coordination between campus police and local/state police for high-risk student groups.

TIMELINE

Specific implementation dates were added: Title VI coordinator appointment by September 1, 2025, and policy adoption by January 1, 2026.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
5
Key actions
1
Committee
3
Feb 27, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Higher Education and Employment Advancement
upper
Feb 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
DRAFTED BY COMMITTEE
upper
Jan 22, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Higher Education and Employment Advancement
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.