The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3102
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 22, 2021
                                ___________
 
 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.

                                                            LBD06038-01-1

 A. 3102                             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.