WASHINGTON (AP) — Campus sexual assault victims are joining senators on Capitol Hill in announcing legislation designed to make colleges more accountable to rape victims.

The effort was led by two Democratic senators, Claire McCaskill and Kirsten Gillibrand, but the legislation has bipartisan support. It would require campuses to designate a confidential adviser for victims and to develop an agreement with local law enforcement over how such cases are handled.

The action on Capitol Hill further escalates the dialogue in Washington on an issue long handled locally. A White House task force on campus sexual assault earlier this year recommended a series of actions schools should take, and the Education Department took the unprecedented step of releasing the names of schools facing federal investigation for the way they handle sexual abuse allegations.