67395.5. (a) For the purposes described in subdivision (a) of Section 67395, and to ensure that sexual assault informational guidance is uniform across the internet websites of all campuses of each of their respective segments, the Trustees of the California State University shall, and the Regents of the University of California are requested to, develop both of the following:
(1) Standards for the content and presentation of information and resources regarding the steps a campus community member who is a survivor of a sexual assault might immediately take following the sexual assault, including the options, timing parameters, and potential outcomes relating to each step.
(2) A model internet website template incorporating the standards developed under paragraph (1).
(b) The standards and model described in subdivision (a) shall be developed in collaboration with sexual assault survivor advocates and others who work with sexual assault survivors, such as counselors, health care service providers, Title IX offices, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and civil attorneys, in a manner informed by relevant experts and bona fide and reliable sources of relevant information, including, but not limited to, information relating to state and federal laws, best practices for internet website design, and the internet web pages of campuses with existing relevant content, such as those developed by a Center for Advocacy, Resources and Education (CARE) office or another campus office.
(c) The content standards required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) may consist of general content guidance, specific language, or both, but shall address at least all of the following:
(1) Reporting the sexual assault to others who may provide emotional or other valuable help immediately following the sexual assault, such as advocates and counselors, health care service providers, and law enforcement agencies, and standards for a listing of the names, contact information, and services offered by each campus-based or community-based sexual assault resource.
(2) Receiving proper medical attention following the sexual assault, including forensic evidentiary exams and other medical testing options.
(3) Collecting and preserving evidence related to the sexual assault, including physical evidence and other types of evidence.
(d) The presentation standards required pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) may include general guidance, prescriptive guidance, or both, related to the structure for organizing and presenting the content in a manner that ensures it prominently calls attention to the information and resources on the internet website and is not obscured by other related or unrelated content. The presentation standards may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
(1) The location of the content on the internet website, including a requirement for an internet web page that is dedicated solely to information and resources related to the steps a survivor might take immediately following a sexual assault and a prominent link on the homepage of the campus’s internet website to that web page.
(2) Standards to ensure the manner of presenting the information is helpful to survivors who may view it following a traumatic sexual assault incident, including requirements for text and background formatting, the use of concise sentences, paragraphs, sections, and bullet lists when appropriate, and avoiding or limiting legal and highly technical terminology.
(3) Standards for accessibility and user interface, including the use of links to other internet web pages for the listing of survivor advocates and other resources, requirements related to readability on mobile devices or other electronic devices, and whether the information and resources are downloadable or searchable from the homepage of the campus’s internet website.
(e) The Trustees of the California State University shall, and the Regents of the University of California are requested to, post the standards and model internet website template developed pursuant to this section on their respective internet websites for use by campuses pursuant to Section 67395. The standards and model internet website template shall be reviewed annually and updated as necessary.
(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 115, Sec. 1. (AB 1968) Effective January 1, 2023.)