§ 6980. Policy on sexual harassment and sexual violence

(a)Required Policy.— Under guidance prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Navy shall direct the Superintendent of the Naval Academy to prescribe a policy on sexual harassment and sexual violence applicable to the midshipmen and other personnel of the Naval Academy.

(b)Matters To Be Specified in Policy.— The policy on sexual harassment and sexual violence prescribed under this section shall include specification of the following:

(1) Programs to promote awareness of the incidence of rape, acquaintance rape, and other sexual offenses of a criminal nature that involve midshipmen or other Academy personnel.

(2) Procedures that a midshipman should follow in the case of an occurrence of sexual harassment or sexual violence, including—

(A) if the midshipman chooses to report an occurrence of sexual harassment or sexual violence, a specification of the person or persons to whom the alleged offense should be reported and the options for confidential reporting;

(B) a specification of any other person whom the victim should contact; and

(C) procedures on the preservation of evidence potentially necessary for proof of criminal sexual assault.

(3) Procedures for disciplinary action in cases of alleged criminal sexual assault involving a midshipman or other Academy personnel.

(4) Any other sanction authorized to be imposed in a substantiated case of sexual harassment or sexual violence involving a midshipman or other Academy personnel in rape, acquaintance rape, or any other criminal sexual offense, whether forcible or nonforcible.

(5) Required training on the policy for all midshipmen and other Academy personnel, including the specific training required for personnel who process allegations of sexual harassment or sexual violence involving Academy personnel.

(c)Annual Assessment.—

(1) The Secretary of Defense, through the Secretary of the Navy, shall direct the Superintendent to conduct at the Academy during each Academy program year an assessment, to be administered by the Department of Defense, to determine the effectiveness of the policies, training, and procedures of the Academy with respect to sexual harassment and sexual violence involving Academy personnel.

(2) For the assessment at the Academy under paragraph (1) with respect to an Academy program year that begins in an odd-numbered calendar year, the Secretary of the Navy shall conduct a survey, to be administered by the Department of Defense, of Academy personnel—

(A) to measure—

(i) the incidence, during that program year, of sexual harassment and sexual violence events, on or off the Academy reservation, that have been reported to officials of the Academy; and

(ii) the incidence, during that program year, of sexual harassment and sexual violence events, on or off the Academy reservation, that have not been reported to officials of the Academy; and

(B) to assess the perceptions of Academy personnel of—

(i) the policies, training, and procedures on sexual harassment and sexual violence involving Academy personnel;

(ii) the enforcement of such policies;

(iii) the incidence of sexual harassment and sexual violence involving Academy personnel; and

(iv) any other issues relating to sexual harassment and sexual violence involving Academy personnel.

(d)Annual Report.—

(1) The Secretary of the Navy shall direct the Superintendent of the Naval Academy to submit to the Secretary a report on sexual harassment and sexual violence involving midshipmen or other personnel at the Academy for each Academy program year.

(2) Each report under paragraph (1) shall include, for the Academy program year covered by the report, the following:

(A) The number of sexual assaults, rapes, and other sexual offenses involving midshipmen or other Academy personnel that have been reported to Naval Academy officials during the program year and, of those reported cases, the number that have been substantiated.

(B) The policies, procedures, and processes implemented by the Secretary of the Navy and the leadership of the Naval Academy in response to sexual harassment and sexual violence involving midshipmen or other Academy personnel during the program year.

(C) A plan for the actions that are to be taken in the following Academy program year regarding prevention of and response to sexual harassment and sexual violence involving midshipmen or other Academy personnel.

(3) Each report under paragraph (1) for an Academy program year that begins in an odd-numbered calendar year shall include the results of the survey conducted in that program year under subsection (c)(2).

(4)

(A) The Secretary of the Navy shall transmit to the Secretary of Defense, and to the Board of Visitors of the Naval Academy, each report received by the Secretary under this subsection, together with the Secretary’s comments on the report.

(B) The Secretary of Defense shall transmit each such report, together with the Secretary’s comments on the report, to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.

(Added Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, § 532(a)(2), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2201.)

Miscellaneous

Further Information From Cadets and Midshipmen at the Service Academies on Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Issues

Secretary of a military department to provide for focus groups to ascertain information relating to sexual assault and sexual harassment issues in any year in which the Secretary is not required by law to conduct a survey on such matters at the service academy under the Secretary’s jurisdiction and to include such information in the Secretary’s annual report to Congress, see section 532(b) of Pub. L. 109–364, set out as a note under section 4361 of this title.