Student Senate on Monday passed a bill to create a committee for the national It’s On Us movement to end sexual assault.

The special committee will be created in anticipation of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is April. According to the resolution, the purpose of the committee is to plan events to spread awareness and advocacy for utilizing It’s On Us resources.

The It’s On Us committee will work alongside Student Advocates for Sexual Assault Survivors and comprises two co-chairs for a Student Senate and an SASAS representative.

Chief of Staff Hillary Smith praised the bill, noting that the new committee would be a great way to educate and spread awareness around the issue.

“I think it’s cool that we use Student Senate and other organizations to create a collaborative committee,” Smith said.

The bill passed 24-0-2.

Support for Trans*mission Week

Senate also passed a resolution in support of Trans*mission Week, which began yesterday and will end Sunday.

Tras*mission Week “provides several opportunities for attendees to learn more about and celebrate the trans* community, as this is arguably the least understood identity in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum,” said Chris Jorgenson, director of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center.

Senator Matt Conte spoke in support of the bill.

“I think supporting and passing legislation like this shows that as a body we are inclusive of all our students and support every one of those students that go here,” Conte said. “And then it’s also keeping the administration responsible to represent all the students that are under their jurisdiction.”

Houterman can be reached at [email protected].