Hazing prevention act championed by NIRSA associate member is now law

NIRSA associate member Hazing Prevention Network is excited to announce that on December 24, the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act (S.2901, H.R. 5646) was signed into law by President Joe Biden. The Act passed the Senate on December 11 and the House of Representatives in September.

“It is important for our NIRSA friends to be aware of this new federal law,” explains Todd Shelton, Executive Director of Hazing Prevention Network. “As we know, hazing can impact campus rec programs—especially in club sports. The Act will require a page on college websites that lists teams and organizations that have been disciplined for hazing and the corrective measures that were imposed. It also has hazing prevention education requirements that will impact all parts of campus.”

Come meet us in Orlando

Attendees of the 2025 NIRSA Conference with questions about the new law can learn more from Todd and the Hazing Prevention Network in Booth 608 of the NIRSA 2025 Campus Rec Expo.

Hazing is a critical issue facing campuses across all sports and student organizations. Hazing behavior, often rooted in power imbalances between existing and new or prospective members of a group, can cause mental or physical harm. Hazing undermines the core mission of clubs and teams.

“The Act will bring more transparency to the issue of hazing, allowing students and parents to make educated decisions when choosing to join a group,” Todd says.

Hazing doesn’t belong in campus rec

Under the Stop Campus Hazing Act, higher education institutions that receive federal student aid must maintain and biannually update a webpage that discloses student organization violations of the institution’s code of conduct that threaten the safety of students. This would also detail corrective measures imposed by the school on the student organization.

The legislation also requires colleges to include hazing incidents in their Annual Security Report (“Clery Report”) and enact campus-wide, research-based hazing education and prevention programs.

“We appreciate the efforts of our champions in the United States Congress including Senator Bill Cassidy (LA), Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), Representative Lucy McBath (GA), and Representative Jeff Duncan (SC) who were the lead sponsors of the Act in their respective chambers,” says Todd. “Our Anti-Hazing Coalition with the North American Interfraternity Conference, National Panhellenic Conference, and parents of hazing victims along with other organizations have been instrumental in advocating for the bill,” he adds.

About the Hazing Prevention Network

Hazing Prevention Network, formerly known as HazingPrevention.Org, is a national nonprofit dedicated to empowering people to prevent hazing. Our goal is to educate people about the dangers of hazing, advocate for change, and engage the community in strategies to prevent hazing.