‘Yes Means Yes’ Bill Clears California Legislature

"California lawmakers gave final approval on Thursday to a bill that would require colleges to adopt a “yes means yes” standard for defining sexual consent in investigations of sexual-assault allegations, the Bay Area News Group reported. If the measure, Senate Bill 967, is signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, all public and private colleges that receive state student-aid money would have to agree that silence or lack of resistance does not imply a green light for sex, and that drunkenness is not an acceptable defense. Governor Brown, a Democrat, has until September 30 to sign the bill and generally does not comment beforehand. Supporters of the legislation argue that the traditional “no means no” standard unfairly burdens victims of sexual assault and that an “affirmative consent” standard would make everyone responsible for ensuring in advance, verbally or nonverbally, that a sexual act was desired...."