Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Criminal Justice topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate adopts substitute for bill renaming hazing provision ‘Danny’s Law,’ clarifies liability and definitions
Summary
Senate substitute number 2 for Senate Bill 167 was adopted and declared perfected; the substitute adds 'actively' and 'not under duress' language, defines 'former member,' and preserves existing hazing statute and penalties, sponsors said.
Senators on Feb. 18 adopted Senate substitute number 2 for Senate Bill 167, a bill whose substitute authors said they titled ‘‘Danny’s Law’’ in honor of a fraternity member injured in a recorded incident. The substitute was adopted by voice vote and then declared perfected and ordered printed.
Why it matters: the substitute clarifies elements of the existing hazing offense and adds definitions intended to narrow or more precisely describe who may be held criminally liable under the hazing offense as written. Sponsors said the substitute does not change the hazing statute’s penalty structure but clarifies mental‑state and duress language to distinguish those acting under coercion from those who knowingly and actively participate.
What changed in the substitute
- Name/intent: Sponsors called the substitute ‘‘Danny’s Law,’’ saying the change honors an individual harmed in a filmed hazing incident.
- Mental‑state language: The substitute language discussed in debate specifies that a person commits the hazing offense if they "knowingly, actively, and not under duress participate" in hazing. Sponsors and questioners clarified that a person acting under duress — for example, a pledge coerced by an upperclassman — could avoid hazard liability under the hazing offense, though other criminal charges (assault, battery, manslaughter) could still apply depending on the conduct.
- Definitions: The substitute adds a definition for "former member" and retains references (including acronyms such as "OAR" as originally drafted) after negotiators questioned their removal.
Floor proceedings and votes
Senator from Celine explained the changes, describing negotiations with other senators and outside counsel. The substitute was adopted by voice vote; the transcript records the body saying the ayes have it. The sponsor then moved that the substitute be declared perfected and ordered printed; that motion also prevailed by voice vote.
Ending
Senate substitute number 2 for SB 167 was adopted and perfected on Feb. 18, 2025. No sentencing or enforcement changes beyond the clarified statutory language were recorded in the transcript.
