H.R. 8136 — Introduced in House

I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8136 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 28, 2020Ms. Slotkin (for herself, Ms. Frankel, Ms. Haaland, and Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure that investigations of sexual misconduct by institutions of higher education are fair, trauma-informed, and evidence-based. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Trauma-Informed Investigation Act. 2. Program participation agreements Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (30) The institution will ensure that any investigation of sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct carried out by the institution is a trauma-informed investigation that— (A) is equitable and timely; (B) is conducted in a manner that recognizes the emotional, behavioral, developmental, and legal challenges that can accompany trauma exposure; and (C) includes evidence-based procedures, informed by cognitive science, that are designed to identify, address, and minimize further trauma to victims. .