U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson representing Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson representing Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) has advanced H.R. 5646, the Stop Campus Hazing Act, through the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. This legislation addresses hazing on college campuses, aiming to protect students, educate parents, and increase transparency.
Hazing is currently not required to be reported as a campus crime statistic at the federal level. The Stop Campus Hazing Act mandates institutions to report hazing incidents in their Annual Security Report (Clery Report) and enacts a definition of hazing that holds perpetrators accountable while protecting students nationwide. The bill also respects state law and includes transparency measures for public access to information about hazing incidents within student organizations.
The bill was influenced by Evelyn and Jim Piazza, whose son Tim Piazza died in February 2017 due to a fraternity hazing ritual at Penn State. Their advocacy led to the creation of the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform at Penn State, which contributed research that shaped the Stop Campus Hazing Act.
“Hazing is simply not an acceptable behavior and one that can lead to great bodily harm, even death,” Rep. Thompson said. “The legislation I offered today will bring about much-needed transparency and accountability but most importantly will help protect students nationwide.”
Evelyn and Jim Piazza expressed gratitude for Rep. Thompson’s support: “We have worked tirelessly with other families from the Anti-Hazing Coalition to bring this legislation forward... This important legislation would help end hazing for good by providing much-needed transparency by universities.”
The bipartisan legislation is supported by several organizations including the National Panhellenic Conference, North American Interfraternity Conference, Clery Center, and Anti-Hazing Coalition.
Rep. Thompson has consistently advocated for student safety on campuses during his tenure in Congress. He previously led efforts in 2017 to ensure institutions have clear anti-hazing policies and introduced the End All Hazing Act in 2019 aimed at increasing campus-wide transparency and accountability.
Today's passage of H.R. 5646 includes provisions from the End All Hazing Act.
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