Domestic violence and sexual assaults happen at a terrifying frequency. According to the Center for Disease Control, 24 people per minute become victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States — more than 12 million women and men over the course of a year. Domestic violence is so prevalent, that one in four women and one in seven men over the age of 18 will experience physical violence in their lifetime.

Now, New York state is taking a stronger stand. Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed a new bill into law that requires all public and private colleges in the state to implement new policies addressing sexual assaults on campuses.

“First it says we admit the problem,” said Cuomo, whose three daughters will enter college this fall. “We’re ashamed of it, but we admit the problem – and that’s the first step toward solving the problem. And then we passed the law that is the most aggressive law in the United States of America.”

The law defines affirmative consent on college campuses across the state “as a knowing, voluntary, and mutual decision among all participants to engage in sexual activity.”

In other words, not-saying-no does not mean yes, anymore.

The new law is an effort to not only protect victims, but also to add new safeguards that will help ensure crimes get reported and handled by the police.

It grants students immunity from certain campus policy violations when reporting a sexual activity, such as drug and alcohol use, if they report a sexual assault. That way, students no longer have to fear getting into trouble themselves if they report an incident.

The new law also requires college campuses to improve and expand the reporting of sexual assaults.

New York’s public college and universities had the version of the regulation in place before it was signed, but now private schools will be required to have an affirmative consent policy. They will have 90 days to put the regulations into effect, and a year to gather statistics on crimes and complaints.