yes means yes

‘Yes Means Yes’ Policy Coming to Every College in New York State

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Governor Andrew Cuomo officially signed a bill into law on Tuesday that expands the affirmative-consent sexual-assault policy adopted last year by public universities to all private universities in New York State. The bill includes a statewide definition of consent as a “knowing, voluntary and mutual decision among all participants to engage in sexual activity.” It also requires colleges to distribute a victim’s “bill of rights” and allocates $10 million of the state’s budget to specifically fighting campus sexual assault.

“A woman isn’t going to be made to feel guilty or complicit or fearful if she goes forward,” Cuomo said, according to the Times. “We’re not going to allow the schools to cover it up anymore. Those days are over.”

All NY Colleges Adopting ‘Yes Means Yes’ Policy