Thompson Advances Legislation to Prevent College Hazing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wednesday, U.S. Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) led the effort to advance H.R. 5646, the Stop Campus Hazing Act, through the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. This legislation, the result of tireless advocacy from affected families, campus safety professionals, and dedicated organizations, addresses the persistent problem of hazing on college campuses around the country, protects students, educates parents, and increases transparency.
Hazing is a serious threat to life and safety on campus but is currently not required to be reported as a campus crime statistic at the federal level. The Stop Campus Hazing Act would require institutions to report hazing incidents in their Annual Security Report, also known as their Clery Report, and enact a responsible definition of hazing that holds perpetrators accountable and protects students nationwide. The bill also streamlines reporting requirements by respecting state law and includes several transparency measures to ensure students, parents, and the public can access information about hazing incidents within any student organization.
This bill was shaped by the efforts of Evelyn and Jim Piazza, whose son, Tim Piazza, tragically passed away in February 2017 at Penn State as a direct result of a hazing ritual at his fraternity. Their advocacy led to the establishment of the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform at Penn State, whose research helped shape the Stop Campus Hazing Act and led to the enactment of some of the strongest anti-hazing laws anywhere in the country in Pennsylvania.
“We are extremely grateful for Rep. Thompson’s long-time support of anti-hazing legislation at the federal level and the House Education and the Workforce Committee’s passage of the Stop Campus Hazing Act,” Evelyn and Jim Piazza said. “We have worked tirelessly for several years with other families from the Anti-Hazing Coalition to bring this legislation forward. No parent should have to experience what our family experienced after the death of our son Tim due to fraternity hazing at Penn State. This important legislation would help end hazing for good by providing much-needed transparency by universities, similar to what is already in place in Pennsylvania and some other states, for future generations of parents and students seeking to join student organizations on campus.”
This bipartisan legislation is supported by the National Panhellenic Conference, the North American Interfraternity Conference, the Clery Center, and the Anti-Hazing Coalition.
Background:
- Rep. Thompson has continuously advocated for student safety on campuses during his time in Congress.
- He led efforts in 2017 at the Education and the Workforce Committee to ensure institutions have clear policies prohibiting hazing, require institutions receiving federal funding to disclose policies related to hazing, and educate student organizations about the dangers of hazing.
- In 2019, Rep. Thompson introduced the End All Hazing Act, which worked to prevent hazing incidents by ensuring increased campus-wide transparency and accountability for all student organizations.
- Today’s passage of H.R. 5646 includes provisions from the End All Hazing Act.
