NY State Senate Bill 2015-S7508

Senate Bill S7508

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Requires the boards of trustees of SUNY and CUNY each to conduct a study and report on the availability and accessibility of alternatives to traditional textbooks

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 06, 2016	referred to higher education

2015-S7508 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education
Versions Introduced in 2017-2018 Legislative Session:: S2444

2015-S7508 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the boards of trustees of the state university of New York and the city university of New York each to conduct and report on the availability and accessibility of alternative high-quality, lower cost course resources in lieu of traditional textbooks.

2015-S7508 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S7508

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act requiring the boards of trustees of the state
university of New York and the city university of New York to conduct
a joint study and report on the availability and accessibility of
alternative high-quality, lower cost course resources in lieu of
traditional textbooks

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

The purpose of this bill is to study the availability and
accessibility of alternative high-quality, lower cost course resources
in lieu of traditional textbooks at SUNY and CUNY campuses.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 would require the board of trustees of the state university
of New York to conduct a study and report on the availability and
accessibility of alternative high-quality, lower cost course resources
in lieu of traditional textbooks. The study must include an overview
of current initiatives undertaken by SUNY to facilitate access to
textbook alternatives, as well as other information related to
traditional textbook costs, challenges associated with making more
alternative textbook materials available, and information on other
states' best practices and initiatives to reduce textbook costs.

Section 2 would require the board of trustees of the city university
of New York to conduct a study on resources in lieu of traditional
textbooks in an identical manner as required by SUNY in section 1 of
the bill.

Section 3 would require SUNY and CUNY to report on its findings to the
Governor and the Legislature within one year of the effective date.

Section 4 would provide that the effective date be immediate.

 JUSTIFICATION :

The cost of textbooks is a significant challenge to college
affordability. Textbook costs have soared in the last decade, and high
costs are forcing students to opt out of courses due to textbook costs
or take courses without the textbook. "Open Educational Resources"
(OERs) are developed like textbooks but have "open" use licenses and
therefore can be offered at no cost to students in lieu of textbooks,
generally electronically. Other states have taken legislative action
to facilitate access to these materials to lower textbook costs: a
2015 California law established a statewide council to identify and
catalogue available OERs and promote making these materials available,
and Connecticut is enabling pilot programs to pursue that goal, and a
$1.2 million investment to support an open course library in
Washington state was found to save students at least $5.5 million in
textbook costs. This bill would allow SUNY, CUNY, and the legislature
to study the current cost of traditional textbooks, as well as
initiatives currently being undertaken to reduce textbook costs for
students while increasing the accessibility to open educational
resources.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.

2015-S7508 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7508

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               May 6, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sen. HAMILTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education

AN ACT requiring the boards of trustees of the state university  of  New
  York  and the city university of New York to conduct a joint study and
  report on the availability and accessibility of alternative high-qual-
  ity, lower cost course resources in lieu of traditional textbooks

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The board of trustees of the state university of New York
shall conduct a study and prepare  a  report  on  the  availability  and
accessibility  of  alternative high-quality, lower-cost course resources
in lieu of traditional  textbooks,  which  may  include  open  education
resources,  online textbooks and other related educational materials, to
students enrolled in the state university or a  community  college.  The
report shall include, but not be limited to:
  (a)  an  overview  of  current  initiatives undertaken by the board of
trustees of the state university of New York  to  facilitate  access  to
high-quality, lower-cost alternatives to traditional textbooks;
  (b)  information  related  to  average traditional textbook costs, the
number of students who have used  alternative  high-quality,  lower-cost
course  resources,  and cost savings of students who have purchased such
high-quality, lower-cost alternatives in lieu of traditional textbooks;
  (c) any challenges associated with making more alternative high-quali-
ty, lower-cost course resources widely available;
  (d) information regarding other states'  best  practices,  models  and
initiatives  to  reduce overall textbook costs at institutions of higher
education; and
  (e) recommendations on how  to  expand  the  use,  accessibility,  and
distribution of alternative high-quality, lower-cost course resources.
  S  2.  The  board of trustees of the city university of New York shall
conduct a study and prepare a report on the availability and accessibil-
ity of alternative high-quality, lower-cost course resources in lieu  of
traditional  textbooks,  which  may  include  open  education resources,
online textbooks and other related educational  materials,  to  students

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD15197-02-6

S. 7508                             2

enrolled  in  the city university of New York. The report shall include,
but not be limited to:
  (a)  an  overview  of  current  initiatives undertaken by the board of
trustees of the city university of New  York  to  facilitate  access  to
high-quality, lower-cost alternatives to traditional textbooks;
  (b)  information  related  to  average traditional textbook costs, the
number of students who have used  alternative  high-quality,  lower-cost
course  resources,  and cost savings of students who have purchased such
high-quality, lower-cost alternatives in lieu of traditional textbooks;
  (c) any challenges associated with making more alternative high-quali-
ty, lower-cost course resources widely available;
  (d) information regarding other states'  best  practices,  models  and
initiatives  to  reduce overall textbook costs at institutions of higher
education; and
  (e) recommendations on how  to  expand  the  use,  accessibility,  and
distribution of alternative high-quality, lower-cost course resources.
  S 3. The board of trustees of the state university of New York and the
board  of  trustees  of  the  city university of New York shall submit a
final report of its findings and recommendations to the governor, tempo-
rary president of the senate, the  speaker  of  the  assembly,  and  the
chairs  of  the  higher  education committees in the assembly and senate
within one year of the effective date of this act.
  S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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