Corbis

Yesterday, the California State Senate voted unanimously to pass the "yes means yes" bill—a law requiring the state's colleges and universities to include "affirmative consent" in their definition of what constitutes as consensual sex.

The bill comes as a response to mounting pressure from students, activists, and the government to do something to stem the growing epidemic of sexual assaults on college campuses. If enacted, it will mark the first time a state has made a law out of a policy that would traditionally appear in a student handbook. The rules would apply to any public or private colleges that receive state financial aid funding.

"Yes means yes" defines sexual consent as "an affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity," shifting the paradigm from the absence of "no" being considered consent. It underlines that silence, lack of refusal, and consent given while intoxicated do not qualify as voluntary agreement. "Lack of protest or resistance does not mean consent, nor does silence mean consent," the bill states. "Affirmative consent must be ongoing throughout a sexual activity and can be revoked at any time. The existence of a dating relationship between the persons involved, or the fact of past sexual relations between them, should never by itself be assumed to be an indicator of consent."

Governor Jerry Brown must sign the bill by the end of September for the measure to be made into law.

Related: Colleges and Sexual Assault: 5 Things to Know

Sally Holmes Digital Director Sally is the Digital Director of MarieClaire.com where she oversees coverage of all the things the Marie Claire reader wants to know about, including politics, beauty, fashion, celebs, and Prince Harry's facial hair.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io