Senate introduces bill to establish permanent student safety committee

The 77th Associated Students Senate introduced a bill that would establish a permanent student safety committee under the Office of the President at its Sept. 30 meeting.

If passed, the committee would advocate for student safety needs to the University and local law enforcement agencies, encourage risk mitigation methods and raise awareness for student safety.

Public Forum

Former Senator and third-year political science and history double major Evan Sussman endorsed the bill during public forum, stressing its necessity. With issues regarding student safety on the UC Santa Barbara campus and in neighboring Isla Vista, he urged the Senate to pass the bill “as soon as possible.”

The 76th Senate previously introduced a temporary student safety committee, which Sussman helped author and co-chair, in response to a series of crimes on campus at the time. However, Sussman highlighted that these issues are ongoing, which calls for a permanent committee. He briefly mentioned the alleged rape at Cornell University as an example of the broader context surrounding student safety.

Associated Students (A.S.) President and fourth-year political science major E.J. Raad also endorsed the bill during his executive report.

“There’s obviously a huge need for this,” Raad said. “It comes at no financial impact for the association, and it will just make it a lot easier for us to work on public safety initiatives. For instance, the lagoon lighting project is getting very close [to completion] … but that wouldn’t have been possible without last year’s temporary safety committee.”

Last year, A.S. and the student body pushed for the installation of lights and cameras around the lagoon due to a long history of reported crime in the area. As a result of their efforts, UCSB was granted an emergency permit for the cameras and a hearing on a proposal for permanent light fixtures.

The bill to establish a permanent student safety committee under the Office of the President was referred to the advocacy committee.

Legislation Passed

The Senate adopted a bill that grants A.S. Publications and Notetaking the first right of refusal regarding all A.S.-dispursed funds used toward “printing, publishing, and manufacturing services” at third-party entities. Introduced by Senator and second-year physics major Alec GeoSimonian, the bill requires A.S. entities to first attempt getting these services from A.S. Publications and Notetaking.

The use of third-party services will only be permitted in cases where A.S. Publications and Notetaking is unwilling to match the price offered by the third party or refuses the job entirely.

According to GeoSimonian, the goal of the bill is not to prioritize A.S. profits but rather to promote keeping funds “in-house.”

The Senate also adopted a bill restructuring the Senate Liaison Committee after unfilled department chair positions prevented the committee from reaching quorum. The bill will exclude unfulfilled positions from quorum until they are nominated and confirmed.

The Senate additionally adopted the Budget Cycle Restructuring Act of 2026, which updates deadlines and procedures surrounding the A.S. budget process.

Proposed Legislation

The Senate introduced a bill to update the legal code of the University of California in Isla Vista (UCIV), “a non-police affiliated volunteer based group” that provides resources to students in I.V. during late Friday and Saturday nights. The bill would establish the positions of treasurer and executive assistant and add one additional board member.

Introduced by GeoSimonian and seconded by third-year applied math major and Senator Luke Lopez, the bill aims to better distribute UCIV’s administrative and financial responsibilities. The additional board member would increase UCIV’s board membership from 40 to 41 members to reduce the possibility of tied votes.

The bill was referred to the Liaison Committee.

A version of this article appeared on p. 3 of the Oct. 9 print edition of the Daily Nexus.