Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008
In one of VTV Family Foundation’s earliest impacts, families banded together in 2008 and demanded that Congress amend the Clery Act because “these warnings must be issued as soon as possible”. As a result of their influence and others, HEOA included amendments to the Clery Act to require campuses to issue immediate notifications about any emergency situation that is a threat to the health or safety of students and employees.
Among other updates, HEOA also requires state universities to know their emergency management plans, conduct exercise drills every year, have an emergency notification system in place, and use it in a timely manner. HEOA also provided for a matching grant program so colleges and universities could fund safety and security improvement initiatives. There is also a provision for mental health services for students and staff so they can be coordinated with appropriate local entities.
The HEOA bill was signed into law on August 14, 2008 by President Bush, reauthorizing the amended version of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965.