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Gov. Cuomo Launches 'Enough Is Enough' Campaign To Combat Campus Sex Assaults

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo is pushing state lawmakers to pass what he calls the toughest law in the nation when it comes to college campus sex assaults.

The measure includes consent language that shifts the burden onto the accused to prove the other had agreed to sexual activity. Amnesty measures address the concern that victims are not speaking out on the worry they might have to admit to drug or alcohol use in violation of campus rules, WCBS 880's Paul Murnane reported.

Gov. Cuomo Launches Campaign To Combat Campus Sex Assaults

Cuomo said campus sexual assault is a police matter, not a disciplinary process.

"It's not a violation of campus policy, it's not that it violated the campus motto, it is a crime," Cuomo said.

The governor said only about 5 percent of campus sexual attacks are reported.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has endorsed Cuomo's campaign, called "Enough is Enough."

Staffers in State University of New York schools are being trained to deal with students who are attacked so they understand the concept of mutual consent. Eleven New York private campuses also have joined the campaign to turn the sexual assault policies into state law.

The New York Times reports there are due process concerns and worry about a lack of an appeals process. There's also a push to switch the word "victim" to a less prejudicial term.

Congress is considering legislation that would strengthen measures against sexual violence.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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