California Governor Signs 'Yes Means Yes' Sexual Assault Bill

While the bill was passed by the state assembly late last month, it was still waiting for Brown’s signature. The sponsor of the bill, Senator Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), said in a statement Sunday, “The State of California will not allow schools to sweep rape cases under the rug. We’ve shifted the conversation regarding sexual assault to one of prevention, justice, and healing.”

As we have extensively covered before, SB 967 requires that partners practice “affirmative consent,” which means instead of telling someone to stop doing what they’re doing, both parties must check-in throughout the encounter and tell the person to continue doing what they’re doing.

As NPR reports, the bill is even more broad-reaching than that: it will require faculty be trained before reviewing sexual assault complaints so they treat victims filing appropriately and allows for all students to receive counseling and medical care, should they require it.