COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s National Hazing Prevention Week, and lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are taking action at the federal level to stop the dangerous practice on college campuses.

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Stop Campus Hazing Act this week. The measure would require colleges and universities to report hazing incidents, develop campus-wide educational programs aimed at preventing hazing and post publicly any student organization’s hazing violations on the school’s website, so students and parents can make informed decisions about joining the group.

The bill would build upon actions some states have already taken, like Collin’s Law in Ohio, anti-hazing legislation passed after Collin Wiant died following a fraternity incident at Ohio University in 2018.

“If this law was in place back then, I would have found that Ohio University had a lot of hazing on their campus and specifically, the Sigma Pi chapter at Ohio University had a long history of hazing,” said Kathleen Wiant, Collin’s mom.

Kathleen joined other families who lost loved ones to hazing to watch the Congressional vote take place.  

“It was definitely surreal to be there and be a part of it,” she said. “It was definitely bittersweet, because we knew that our, our child shouldn't have had to die to have a law like this in place.”

The bill now moves to the Senate, with supporters hopeful it will be signed into law by the end of the year.

“With hazing, we just hear about the hazing deaths that do make the news,” Kathleen said. “What you don't hear about is all tens of thousands of students who are hazed every year that don't end in a headline, but have some lifelong trauma or change in their experience because of hazing that they've endured.“