California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill that creates new rules for college students in the state who engage in sexual activity. [LA Times]
The new law defines sexual consent as an “affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.” It states that lack of resistance or silence does not equate consent, and that students cannot achieve consent when one is incapacitated by drugs or alcohol.
The restrictions apply to all universities in California, public or private, that receive state-funded financial aid.
Democratic state senators Kevin de Leon and Hanna Beth Jackson authored the legislation. They introduced the bill after accusations surfaced of universities improperly investigating sexual assault allegations.
