The California State University system will be required to develop clear policies and guidelines on how to investigate and follow up on sexual harassment cases under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday.

The new law requires the 23-campus network to implement recommendations from a 2023 state audit that examined how officials at the nation's largest public four-year college system investigated and followed up on complaints, following an outcry over failures to properly handle sexual misconduct cases on several campuses.

Lawmakers called for the audit in 2022 after a Los Angeles Times investigation found inconsistencies and deficiencies in the department's response to student and faculty complaints of sexual misconduct and retaliation. The audit found that the chancellor's office, which oversees the system, provided insufficient oversight and that the department did not properly record or investigate sexual harassment allegations. It also recommended that the chancellor's office implement about two dozen reforms by July of this year. Lawmakers at a hearing last year questioned whether CSU would make the reforms without congressional oversight.

CSU will now be required to implement recommendations made last year, which included creating clear guidelines for investigations, an established policy for tracking complaints and a policy for dealing with cases of misconduct that don't meet sexual harassment standards. University officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Assembly Bill 1790 was introduced by Rep. Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) and Rep. Mike Fong (D-Alhambra).

“This bill ensures that victims are heard, perpetrators are held accountable, and our institutions are upheld to the highest standards of justice and support,” Connolly said in a statement. “By strengthening protections against sexual assault and sexual harassment, we can ensure that claims of sexual harassment are not unfairly dismissed and make Cal Poly safer for students, faculty and staff.”

According to a 2022 Times investigation, CSU paid $600,000 to settle the lawsuit. Sonoma State University The assistant to the president claims she was retaliated against by the president after reporting sexual harassment allegations against the president's husband. The president's office did not investigate the allegations. The president, who has since left the university, and her husband have previously denied any wrongdoing.

Other investigations have found flaws in how California Maritime University handled sexual harassment allegations against women and transgender students on campus and at sea. The Times report also found inconsistencies in how CSU logged complaints.

The bill follows a law that took effect this year requiring CSU to publicly release sexual harassment complaints and the results of investigations.