New legislation introduced in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on Thursday would require institutions of higher learning to have anti-harassment policies in order to receive federal funding if passed.

The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act was introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, and Rep. Rush Holt, D-NJ, according to a statement from Lautenberg.

The legislation takes the name of Tyler Clementi, a student at Rutgers University and a victim of harassment and cyber-bullying.

Clementi committed suicide early this school year after his roommate and another student recorded and streamed a video online of him and another man engaging in sexual activity.

“While there is no way to eliminate the cruelty that some students choose to inflict on their peers, there should be a clear code of conduct that prohibits harassment,” Lautenberg said in the statement.

The law would provide funding for schools to establish or expand programs to prevent harassment of students. It would also threaten to take funding away from institutions that do not comply with the standards set by the new law, according to the statement.

Comprehensive anti-bullying policies are very common in institutions across the country, University of Wisconsin Dean of Students Lori Berquam said.

However, Berquam questioned whether a new bill was necessary when there have already been other laws put in place.

“The bill may be valuable in bringing important issues to light, but why not simply amend an existing law”? Berquam asked. “Why is it necessary to create separate legislation when these issues have already been addressed by laws like the [1999 Jeanne] Clery Act”?

The new law would also require schools to recognize cyber-bullying, the statement from Lautenberg said.

Berquam said Wisconsin could be ahead of most other states in terms of compliance with the proposed law’s crackdown on cyber bullying because of a law passed in 2009 which made cyber harassment illegal in the state.

The University of Wisconsin Division of Student Life has outlined its policy toward discriminatory behavior, saying in a statement that harassment based on race, sex, gender identity or expression, religion, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry or age does not fit with UW’s goals.

“Our community is made up of individuals from all gender identities and expressions; all races and ages; many ethnic groups, nationalities and religions; those representing a wide range of physical and mental abilities, and heterosexual, bisexual, gay male and lesbian sexual orientations,” a statement on the Division of Student Life’s website said.

Those who witness harassment involving students are encouraged to fill out a bias incident report form and to the Student Assistance and Judicial Affairs unit of the division.

Incidents perpetrated by employees of the university are handled by the Office for Equity and Diversity.

Berquam said education is important in trying to empower students when it comes to cyber-bulling and harassment.

“What happened to Tyler Clementi is horrible and incomprehensible,” Berquam said. “What we need to do is to encourage students to educate themselves as to what cyber-bullying is and how they can protect themselves from being victims.”