The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 929, which would create the “Higher Education College Textbook Affordability, Accountability and Accessibility Act” to minimize the cost of course materials for students and maintain the quality of education and academic freedom.
The bill would require textbook publishers to include pricing information with any information they provide to faculty about a textbook and offer all “bundled” textbooks for sale as individual unbundled textbooks and supplemental items.
The legislation would also permit institutions to establish a college textbook rental program. These programs would be eligible to receive federal, state and private funding.
Lastly, the bill would require publishers of college textbooks to make their textbooks available, in whole or in part, for sale in electronic format no later than January 1, 2020.
The requirements in this legislation are consistent with the requirements in the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act that goes into effect July 1, 2010.
The bill now goes to the House.
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