Existing law makes it unlawful to engage in hazing, which is defined as a method of initiation or preinitiation into a student organization or student body, whether or not the organization or body is officially recognized by an educational institution, that is likely to cause serious bodily injury to a former, current, or prospective student of a school, community college, college, university, or other educational institution in the state. Existing law establishes civil liability for hazing participants or the organization if it is involved in the hazing. This bill would expressly prohibit a person from being subjected to hazing in any program or activity conducted by an educational institution that receives, or benefits from, state financial assistance or enrolls students who receive state student financial aid. The bill would define an educational institution as a public or private institution of higher education in the state. The bill would, beginning January 1, 2026, additionally establish civil liability for an educational institution if (1) the institution has direct involvement in the hazing practice of the organization, or knew or should have known of the hazing practice and failed to take reasonable steps to stop the hazing practice, and (2) the organization involved in the hazing is affiliated with the educational institution at the time of the alleged hazing incident. For purposes of determining whether an educational institution "knew or should have known of the hazing practice and failed to take reasonable steps to stop the hazing practice of the organization," the bill would establish a rebuttable presumption that an educational institution took reasonable steps to address hazing if the educational institution had taken specified antihazing measures. The bill would require the Trustees of the California State University, the Regents of the University of California, and the appropriate governing bodies of certain independent institutions of higher education, on or before June 30, 2026, and annually thereafter, to report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature the number of hazing, as defined for purposes of this report, incidents that constituted a violation of the institution's policy prohibiting hazing, and, whether the violation was affiliated with a student organization, as specified. This bill would also require the State Department of Education to make available on the department's internet website, on or before July 1, 2025, a model antihazing policy for local educational agencies and resources on hazing prevention for professional development purposes and to increase awareness among pupils, school staff, and community members of the dangers of hazing.