Anti-hazing Bill Progressing in California Legislature
 

A new, stricter anti-hazing bill is progressing in the California lagislature. This should be of interest to national, local, and regional fraternities and sororities with chapters in California.

The bill is Senate Bill 1454.

An article about it is in the April 5 '06 Chico Enterprise Record online at

http://www.chicoer.com/news/home/ci_3673261

Some fraternity and sorority officers, advisors, and other interested members, as well as Greek Affairs / Greek Life staff at colleges in California, may want to read the bill and follow its progress. The California legislature's official web site has a section on current bills:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/

(Click on "Senate Bills," which brings up a list. click on the bill number, 1454. There's also info on the bill's movement through the legislature, indications of amendments, votes, and so on.)

Hazing should be regulated for sure.

But, I am tired of Regulations by Law Makers to infringe more and more on Our rights. It seems never ending and probably will never end.

They usually narrow it towards a specific Group and You know who that usually ends up being!

If approved by the Legislature, it would strengthen California's hazing law by moving it from the Education Code to the Penal Code, making the act of hazing illegal for anyone. In hazing incidents resulting in serious injury or death, it would also increase the crime from a misdemeanor to a felony.

As it stands, the law provides a loophole for non-students who commit hazing, explained Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, who introduced the bill. This allowed several men connected to Carrington's death to avoid serious consequences, he said.

My guess is that this will be a slam dunk. As defined, it will be hard to argue with the age old saying "the punishment should fit the crime".

I tend to agree with what TSteven said (below), but of course I don't know what kinds of twists, turns, and tweaks
the bill may take in the California legislature. As I said in my OP (and as I said a year or so ago in posting about the bill that became law in Florida) I do feel that GLO HQs and regional and local GLO officers / volunteers with responsibilities for California chapters should probably take the opportunity to learn about the bill and its possible implications.