California Passes ‘Yes Means Yes’ Sexual Consent Bill

A new bill requiring college students to get “affirmative consent” before sex was unanimously passed by the California senate in late August, reports The Guardian.

The bill, SB 967, being called the “yes means yes” law, awaits approval by Governor Jerry Brown to become law. According to The Guardian, this is the first state legislation that specifically seeks to combat campus sexual assault by holding colleges and universities that receive state funding for student aid accountable.

The Guardian reports that the bill does not leave the definition of consent up for interpretation, clearly stating that silence and lack or resistance does not equal consent.

“Affirmative consent must be ongoing throughout a sexual activity and can be revoked at any time,” the bill states. “The existence of a dating relationship between the persons involved, or the fact of past sexual relations between them, should never by itself be assumed to be an indicator of consent.”

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