Improving Campus Safety: Reps. Courtney and Himes Introduce New Bill to Increase Transparency Surrounding On-Campus Injuries and Death, Institute New Reporting Requirements

Press Release

Today, Representatives Joe Courtney (CT-02) and Jim Himes (CT-04) introduced a bill to help prevent tragic student deaths and serious injuries on college campuses. The College Operational Reporting of Emergencies Involving Teens and Young Adults (COREY) Safety Act would amend the CLERY Act of 1990--which requires colleges and universities participating in federal financial aid program to maintain and disclose campus crime statistics--by requiring them to also disclose accidents and other incidents that result in serious harm or death in their annual safety report. The COREY Safety Act is inspired by Corey Hausman, a student from Westport, Connecticut who passed away on September 12, 2018 following a pedestrian accident on his college campus.

Accidents are the leading cause of student fatality on college campuses, accounting for 10.8% of deaths according to a study by the American College Health Association. In comparison, homicides--which are required to be disclosed under the CLERY Act--account for only 0.53% of on-campus deaths. Improving transparency by reporting these serious accidents will better allow for informed decision-making and will encourage colleges and universities to make campuses safer for students.

"Members of Congress from both parties deserve accolades for coming together without hesitation to co-sponsor the 2022 COREY Safety Act. They have exhibited true leadership by supporting the new standard for college community safety that was modeled on Connecticut's Public Act 21-184, which passed uncontested in a single session by Connecticut's House and Senate last year," said Nanette Hausman, the founder College911.net™ and the CollegeSafetyCoalition.net™. She is also the mother of the late Corey Hausman, who died from what began as a preventable pedestrian accident on his college campus. "The COREY Act is essential in order to fill a critical void by expanding current metrics used to measure, modify, and improve college community safety to include accidents--which are estimated to be the leading cause of college student death. The pain my family and I experienced when we tragically lost our youngest member only deepened when we learned that Corey's accident was unaccounted for under the standard at the time. A standard set by the landmark CLERY Act, which focuses on crime and fire incidents only. My family, my advocacy groups and I have identified a broken system which must be fixed in order to save future families from living with the life-altering loss caused by preventable accidents. Our teens and young adults attending college should be assured they are living and learning in an environment where all aspects of safety are prioritized."

"Students go off to college and university with the goal of gaining experiences, skills, and accreditation for opportunities later in life. It's one of greatest things a parent gets to witness--to see our kids work hard and achieve these opportunities--and while not every tragedy can be prevented, we need to know that schools are taking meaningful steps to keep students safe on campus," said Congressman Courtney. "I was proud to partner with Congressman Himes and with the Hausman Family from Westport, Connecticut, to address this important issue. Improving the quality of data we have on fatal accidents on school campuses, as well as increasing transparency surrounding these tragic incidents, will ultimately make for better strategies to keep students safe."

"The COREY Safety Act will make our colleges and universities safer for students," said Rep. Himes. "I am so grateful to Corey's mother, my constituent Nannette Hausman, who has fought tirelessly for this legislation since the tragic death of her son. With Nannette's help, we will soon close a glaring hole in campus crime statistics, so as to more accurately analyze and address the data they provide. I am committed to working alongside Representative Courtney to ensure that this important bill is enacted into law."

Details on the COREY Safety Act:

The COREY Safety Act is inspired by Corey Hausman, a student from Westport, Connecticut who passed away on September 12, 2018--only 15 days into his freshman year--in a simple pedestrian accident on his university's campus, over 2,000 miles away from his family. Corey was the third student death at his college in the first 15 days of that semester. Nearly four years later, the university has still not repaired the pathway where Corey fell, despite it being documented by the University as problematic.

The COREY Safety Act would amend the CLERY Act of 1990, and help ensure that institutions of higher education start treating these incidents with the gravity they deserve. Specifically, the bill would:

Make Campus Safety More Transparent--The bill would amend the CLERY Act of 1990 to require that colleges disclose all incidents resulting in serious harm or death in their annual safety report, in addition to the crime statistics and security information they are currently required to disclose. This would provide students, families, and decision-makers on campus with a clearer, more realistic view of campus safety and how to improve it.
Make Important Safety Information More Readily Available--The bill requires colleges and universities to list the name, address, and distance of the Level I Trauma Center closest to the campus on their websites, with the goal of helping students and families make informed decisions and to quickly locate this information in the event of an emergency.
Centralize Campus Safety Information--The bill would require that colleges compile all necessary campus safety information into a single document titled the "Campus Safety Report."
Rep. Courtney and Himes's bill has drawn nationwide support from organizations advocating for more transparency in student mortality data, including the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University (IPRCE), the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research (SAVIR), Shepherd Center from Atlanta, Georgia, Safe/Sound Schools from Newtown, Connecticut, MedTacGlobal, Positive Youth Development from Westport, Connectituct, the Connecticut Children's Hospital, and the College Safety Coalition including Rail Against the Danger, Rachael's First Week, Minger Foundation, Gordie Center, Peace Outside Campus, and College911.net.

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