S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
559
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
(PREFILED)
January 9, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE,
COOK, CYMBROWITZ, ORTIZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Higher Education
AN ACT to authorize the trustees of the state university of New York to
create an academic review board for the review of textbooks sold,
purchased or used for academic purposes on all state university of New
York campuses
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The trustees of the state university of New York are hereby
authorized and directed to immediately take all actions to create an
academic review board, to consist of twelve members of the full-time
faculty of the various state university of New York campuses, whose
goals will be to serve as an interface between the publishing industry
and the management of the independent bookstores and to explore the
issue of textbook costs on all state university of New York campuses
providing a course of study leading to the granting of a post-secondary
degree, certificate or diploma. Such trustees working in conjunction
with the academic review board shall establish all necessary rules and
regulations, not later than October 1, 2019, to implement the provisions
of this act which shall include, but not be limited to:
1. establishing guidelines for the academic review board in which such
board will create and mandate cost control policies for the sale and
purchase of all textbooks in independent bookstores on all state univer-
sity of New York campuses. Such guidelines shall include, but not be
limited to recommendations:
(a) from the trustees of the state university of New York determining
the disciplines under the jurisdiction of the academic review board;
(b) from questionnaires, created by the academic review board, which
are circulated by such board within their institutions; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00065-01-9
A. 559 2
(c) from members of the publishing industry advising alternative less
expensive ways of producing textbooks;
2. authorizing the academic review board to require that all publish-
ing companies planning to introduce a new edition of an existing text-
book shall first justify, based on academic review board criteria, the
necessity of a new edition prior to such new textbook edition being
sold, purchased, or used for academic purposes by any state university
of New York;
3. authorizing the academic review board to establish a ceiling for an
acceptable percentage increase on the cost of the same edition of a
textbook which is being reprinted with no changes to the actual text;
and
4. requiring that all publishers selling textbooks to be used for
academic purposes on all state university of New York campuses mail
marketing brochures promoting such textbooks to state university of New
York instructors or professors. Complimentary copies of actual text-
books, including but not limited to instructor's editions or review
copies, shall not, under any circumstances, be sent to any state univer-
sity of New York instructor or professor unless such instructor or
professor has specifically made such a request.
ยง 2. This act shall take effect immediately.