For Immediate Release February 14, 2003

Washington, DC-Funding for production and dissemination of a Jeanne Clery Act compliance handbook by the U.S. Department of Education was approved as part of the omnibus appropriations package passed by both houses of Congress Thursday night. The Clery Act requires institutions of postsecondary education that participate in federal student aid programs to report campus crime statistics to their students, and the federal government.

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), one of the Clery Act's original sponsors, sponsored the provision that would provide $750,000 to develop a "handbook providing detailed instruction on compliance" that will be provided to "all Title IV institutions that are eligible for funding."

"Some schools have apparently been confused about their campus crime reporting obligations," said S. Daniel Carter of the non-profit watchdog organization Security On Campus, Inc. "The Clery Act handbook will ensure that all schools have clear instructions on exactly how to report their campus crime, and will increase student safety."

The legislation next goes to the President.

The Clery Act handbook appropriation can be found on page 36 of Division G 3 of the Joint Explanatory Statement of the Committee of Conference on H.J. Res. 2 available for download from the U.S. House of Representatives web site...

http://www.house.gov/rules/omniG3.pdf