AB 2608 –Student Training Requirements Regarding Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment

Beginning September 1, 2024, existing law requires the governing board of a community college district, the Trustees of the California State University, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions that receive state financial assistance and requests the University of California to provide students with training annually on sexual violence and sexual harassment. Students are required to complete the training within six months of beginning the academic year. Existing law also requires California Community Colleges, the California State University, and requests independent institutions of higher education, private postsecondary educational institutions, and the University of California, to publish educational and preventive information on sexual violence and sexual harassment on their campus internet websites. Existing law identifies the topics that must be covered in the training as well as in the material posted.

Assembly Bill 2608 (AB 2608) amends existing law to require the governing board of a community college district, the Trustees of the California State University, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions that receive state financial assistance and requests the University of California to consider updating on or before September 1, 2026, the student annual training on sexual violence and sexual harassment. The bill recommends updating the training every two years after September 1, 2026.

AB 2608 also expands the topics that must be included in the training beginning September 1, 2026:

• How to recognize if a person is at risk of alcohol- and drug-facilitated sexual assault, including, but not limited to, common symptoms following alcohol and drug consumption and intoxication.
• Effective measures that can be taken to prevent involuntary alcohol and drug consumption and ways to respond to circumstances where a person may be involuntarily intoxicated and at risk for alcohol- and drug-facilitated sexual assault.
• Common facts and myths regarding alcohol- and drug-facilitated sexual assault. This topic shall be covered as part of the topic regarding common facts and myths about causes of sexual violence and sexual harassment, which is part of existing training topic requirements.
• Information related to confidential support and care resources for situations that arise as a result of an act of sexual violence or sexual harassment, or both, including, but not limited to, contact information and the availability of confidential medical and transportation services, forensic examination sites, and, to the extent available, rape crisis centers on campus or within the surrounding community of the campus.

AB 2608 also includes a definition for “drugs” as used in the bill, which was not previously defined.

(AB 2608 amends section 673857 of the Education Code.)