Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 22 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 16. Each public or private degree-granting post-secondary institution of higher education shall submit, on an annual basis, a uniform crime report, consistent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Report, to the department of public safety. Said department shall file all such reports with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In addition, said department shall keep a copy of said reports on file for at least five years. Upon submitting said crime report, each institution shall provide public notice to its campus or campuses that the institution makes said report available, upon request, to any applicant, student, or employee of the institution and how such individuals can get a copy of the report from the institution.

In addition, each such institution shall certify that it has a campus security policy that has been made available, upon request, to any applicant, student, or employee of the institution. Said policy shall provide information on campus security procedures, including, but not limited to the following: (a) the administrative office responsible for security on the campus; (b) policy regarding the possession, use, and sale of alcoholic beverages and enforcement of underage drinking laws; (c) policy regarding the possession, use, and sale of illegal drugs and enforcement of federal and state drug laws; (d) policy regarding the unauthorized possession and use of weapons by students and employees; (e) policy regarding access to institutional facilities and programs by students, employees, guests and other individuals; (f) procedures and facilities for students and others to report criminal actions or other emergencies occurring on campus and policies concerning the institution's response to such reports; (g) a description of the communication media used to inform the campus community about security matters as well as the frequency with which the information is usually provided.

Said campus security policy shall further provide information on security and access to grounds and buildings, including, but not limited to, security considerations used in the maintenance of campus facilities.

Said policy shall further provide information on student housing safety measures, including, but not limited to: (a) policies concerning the identification and admission of visitors in student housing facilities; (b) measures to secure entrances to student housing facilities; (c) standard security features used to secure doors and windows in students' rooms; (d) the type and frequency of programs designed to inform student housing residents about housing security and enforcement procedures; (e) policy and special security procedures for housing students during low-occupancy periods such as holidays and vacation periods; (f) policy on the housing of guests and others not assigned to the student housing or not regularly associated with the institution of higher education.

Said policy shall further provide information on campus law enforcement, including: (a) a description of the type and number of security personnel utilized by the institution, including a description of their training; (b) the enforcement authority of security personnel, including their working relationship with state and local police agencies; (c) policy on reporting criminal incidents to state and local police.

SECTION 2. The provisions of this act shall be null and void upon the implementation of a federal campus security law.