BATON ROUGE — The family of an LSU student who died during a fraternity hazing incident last fall watched as Gov. John Bel Edwards signed The Max Gruver Act honoring his memory Thursday.
House Bill 78 by Rep. Nancy Landry, R-Lafayette, makes criminal hazing a felony in some cases and strengthens the penalties for misdemeanor hazing. It affects all educational organizations and clubs.
It would also make the organizations and universities criminally liable if they knew of hazing and didn't report it to authorities.
"I think this bill will save lives in the future," Landry said. "If this bill can save one life it will be worth it."
Max Gruver's parents Rae Ann and Steve Gruver were joined by their son Alex and daughter Lily at the signing ceremony. They believe Landry's bill could become a model for the rest of the country.
"The country is looking at Louisiana, and this is the best written bill we've seen," Steve Gruver has said.
"This is incredibly important," said Edwards, who also signed three other bills to deter hazing. "Hopefully this will be the start of a (movement) across the country and bring some comfort to the Gruvers."
During the bill's journey through the Louisiana Legislature this spring Rae Ann Gruver provided powerful testimony.
"Our family is broken," she said during a committee hearing as she wept. "We will never be the same. How do we face every day knowing our son was killed so senselessly?"
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The penalties for criminal hazing if someone is injured, dies or has a blood alcohol content of .30 or above is a maximum $10,000 fine and up to five years in jail.
Rae Ann Gruver said her son, a Phi Delta Theta fraternity pledge from Roswell, Georgia, was forced to take 10 to 12 long drinks of alcohol on Sept. 14, 2017 before being left on a couch unconscious, where "my son choked on his own vomit."
LSU has banned Phi Delta Theta chapter from campus until at least 2033.
The other anti-hazing bills signed into law by Edwards Thursday included:
House Bill 270 by Rep. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, which protects identifying information of students that report violations of student codes of conduct.
House Bill 793 by Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, which requires colleges and universities to provide annual hazing education and prevention training.
And House Bill 446 by Rep. Reid Falconer, R-Mandeville, which requires anyone who engages in reckless behavior that results in injury to another person to immediately seek or report the need for medical assistance.
A grand jury indicted four former LSU students in the Gruver case — three under the current misdemeanor hazing law and one charged with negligent homicide.
Photos | LSU Frat boys turn themselves in of hazing, homicide charges
East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore testified in favor of Landry's bill during committee hearings.
"(Hazing) is 100 percent preventable and this legislation properly addresses the behavior and will act as a deterrent," Moore said.
The Gruvers are also among 16 parents who have lost a son to college hazing who will be featured at 7 p.m. ET Sunday on Dateline NBC in a group interview with NBC News’ Andrea Canning.
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
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