Authorizes the regents to create a task force to review the issue of textbook cost and ways to enhance the academic role and delivery of course materials through greater collaboration between faculty, publishers, college bookstores and libraries.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5899
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 17, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LUPINACCI -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing the
regents of the university of the state of New York to create a task
force to review the issues of textbooks' cost and ways to enhance the
academic role and delivery of course materials, ensuring student
affordability through such approaches as used books, textbook rentals,
custom materials, the use of open access textbooks, digital textbooks,
print on demand technologies, and through greater collaboration
between faculty, publishers, college bookstores and libraries
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 725 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 725. Formation of task force. 1. The regents of the university of
4 the state of New York are hereby authorized and directed to immediately
5 take all actions to create a task force to review the issues of text-
6 books' cost and delivery methods. The task force will consist of thir-
7 teen representatives who shall be selected among faculty and represen-
8 tatives from the state university of New York, city university of New
9 York, private colleges within New York state, and campus bookstores.
10 Appointments to the task force shall be made by the commissioner of the
11 New York state education department after consultation with the state
12 university of New York, city university of New York, private colleges
13 and campus bookstores within New York state. Representatives serving on
14 the task force from the colleges shall include professional staff know-
15 ledgeable about textbook initiatives currently being pursued by the
16 university and faculty members. The goals of the representatives will be
17 to advise on and explore issues of course material costs and ways to
18 enhance the academic role and services of college bookstores to help
19 make course materials more affordable through such approaches as used
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02990-01-7
A. 5899 2
1 books, textbook rentals, custom materials, the use of open access text-
2 books, digital textbooks, print on demand technologies, and through
3 greater collaboration between college bookstores and libraries.
4 2. The task force shall report not later than January first, two thou-
5 sand eighteen to the board, the governor and the legislature, on their
6 recommendations on enhancing access to textbooks and their costs and
7 method of delivery, which shall include, but not be limited to:
8 a. Supporting efficient used book, buyback and student peer to peer
9 sales;
10 b. Ways to expand and enhance textbook rental programs;
11 c. Ways to promote the greater development, adoption, deployment, and
12 use of open access textbooks in both digital and print formats for
13 students and faculty in fiscally sustainable ways;
14 d. How to increase the availability and use of digital textbooks and
15 learning objects for faculty and students;
16 e. How the use of advance print on demand technologies can provide
17 students more choices and lower the cost of course materials;
18 f. Ways in which the cost of commercial digital content could be made
19 more affordable;
20 g. How collaboration between textbook publishers, college bookstores
21 and libraries can increase content choices for faculty and enhance cost
22 savings for students, while improving efficiencies and reducing dupli-
23 cation at libraries and bookstores through the review of primary source
24 content collections, subscriptions, course packages, e-reserves, and
25 copyright;
26 h. What guidelines should exist, if any, for faculty who may wish to
27 explore alternatives to traditional textbooks through the use of open
28 access, print on demand, digital, and other content and formats;
29 i. Other approaches to make course materials more affordable for
30 students; and
31 j. An evaluation of each recommendation as it relates to the legal
32 mandate of providing full and equal access to students with disabili-
33 ties.
34 3. The trustees shall make available to the advisory committee such
35 information and assistance as may be necessary to enable the advisory
36 committee to carry out its functions.
37 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
