The New York State Senate

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

                                  2893

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 28, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. KIM -- read once and referred 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.
  § 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-

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

                                                           LBD03875-01-9

A. 2893                             2

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
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.
  § 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.
  § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.