,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cech ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,november #ai1 #bjac,mr4 ,hinojosa 7for himself and ,mr4 ,george ,miller of ,california7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce ,a ,,bill ,to expand the use of open textbooks in order to achieve savings for students4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,affordable ,college ,textbook ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the high cost of college textbooks continues to be a barrier for many students in achieving higher education4 7#b7 ,according to the ,college ,board1 during the #bjab-bjac academic year1 the average student budget for college books and supplies was #a1bjj4 7#c7 ,the ,government ,accountability ,office found that new textbook prices increased #hb percent over the last decade and that although ,federal efforts to increase price transparency have provided students and families with more and better information1 more must be done to address rising costs4 7#d7 ,the growth of the ,internet has enabled the creation and sharing of digital content1 including open educational resources that can be freely used by students1 teachers1 and members of the public4 7#e7 ,using open educational resources in place of traditional materials in large-enrollment college courses can reduce textbook costs by #hj to #ajj percent4 7#f7 ,federal investment in expanding the use of open educational resources could significantly lower college textbook costs and reduce financial barriers to higher education1 while making efficient use of taxpayer funds4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,educational resource ,the term educational resource means an educational material that can be used in postsecondary instruction1 including textbooks and other written or audiovisual works4 7#b7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section #aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74 7#c7 ,open educational resource ,the term open educational resource means an educational resource that is licensed under an open license and made freely available online to the public4 7#d7 ,open license ,the term open license means a worldwide1 royalty-free1 non-exclusive1 perpetual1 irrevocable copyright license granting the public permission to access1 reproduce1 publicly perform1 publicly display1 adapt1 distribute1 and otherwise use the work and adaptations of the work for any purpose1 conditioned only on the requirement that attribution be given to authors as designated4 7#e7 ,open textbook ,the term open textbook means an open educational resource or set of open educational resources that either is a textbook or can be used in place of a textbook for a postsecondary course at an institution of higher education4 7#f7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 #d4 ,grant program 7a7 ,grants authorized ,from the amounts appropriated under subsection 7i71 the ,secretary shall make grants1 on a competitive basis1 to eligible entities to support pilot programs that expand the use of open textbooks in order to achieve savings for students4 7b7 ,eligible entity ,in this section1 the term eligible entity means an institution of higher education or group of institutions of higher education4 7c7 ,applications 7#a7 ,in general ,each eligible entity desiring a grant under this section1 after consultation with relevant faculty 7including those engaged in the creation of open educational resources71 shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and accompanied by such information as the ,secretary may reasonably require4 7#b7 ,contents ,each application submitted under paragraph 7#a7 shall include a description of the project to be completed with grant funds and-- 7,a7 a plan for promoting and tracking the use of open textbooks in postsecondary courses offered by the eligible entity1 including an estimate of the projected savings that will be achieved for students2 7,b7 a plan for evaluating1 before creating new open educational resources1 whether existing open educational resources could be used or adapted for the same purpose2 7,c7 a plan for quality review and review of accuracy of any open educational resources to be created or adapted through the grant2 7,d7 a plan for disseminating information about the results of the project to institutions of higher education outside of the eligible entity1 including promoting the adoption of any open textbooks created or adapted through the grant2 and 7,e7 a statement on consultation with relevant faculty1 including those engaged in the creation of open educational resources1 in the development of the application4 7d7 ,special consideration ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall give special consideration to applications that demonstrate the greatest potential to-- 7#a7 achieve the highest level of savings for students through sustainable expanded use of open textbooks in postsecondary courses offered by the eligible entity2 7#b7 expand the use of open textbooks at institutions of higher education outside of the eligible entity2 and 7#c7 produce-- 7,a7 the highest quality open textbooks2 7,b7 open textbooks that can be most easily utilized and adapted by faculty members at institutions of higher education2 7,c7 open textbooks that correspond to the highest enrollment courses at institutions of higher education2 and 7,d7 open textbooks created or adapted in partnership with entities1 including campus bookstores1 that will assist in marketing and distribution of the open textbook4 7e7 ,use of funds ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to carry out any of the following activities to expand the use of open textbooks3 7#a7 ,professional development for faculty and staff members at institutions of higher education1 including the search for and review of open textbooks4 7#b7 ,creation or adaptation of open educational resources1 especially open textbooks4 7#c7 ,development or improvement of tools and informational resources that support the use of open textbooks4 7#d7 ,research evaluating the efficacy of the use of open textbooks for achieving savings for students4 7#e7 ,partnerships with other entities1 including other institutions of higher education1 for-profit organizations1 or nonprofit organizations1 to carry out any of the activities described in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#d74 7f7 ,license ,educational resources created or adapted under subsection 7e7 shall be licensed under an open license4 7g7 ,access and distribution ,the full and complete digital content of each educational resource created or adapted under subsection 7e7 shall be made available free of charge to the public-- 7#a7 on an easily accessible and interoperable website1 which shall be identified to the ,secretary by the eligible entity2 and 7#b7 in a machine readable1 digital format that anyone can directly download1 edit1 and redistribute4 7h7 ,report ,upon an eligible entity's completion of a project supported under this section1 the eligible entity shall prepare and submit a report to the ,secretary regarding-- 7#a7 the effectiveness of the pilot program in expanding the use of open textbooks and in achieving savings for students2 7#b7 the impact of the pilot program on expanding the use of open textbooks at institutions of higher education outside of the eligible entity2 7#c7 educational resources created or adapted under the grant1 including instructions on where the public can access each educational resource under the terms of subsection 7g72 and 7#d7 all project costs1 including the value of any volunteer labor and institutional capital used for the project4 7i7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section for each of the #e succeeding fiscal years after the enactment of this ,act4 #e4 ,price information ,section #acc7;b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajae;b7b77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking paragraph 7#f72 and 7#b7 in paragraph 7#i72 7,a7 by striking subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b72 and 7,b7 by striking a college textbook that-- and inserting a college textbook that may include printed materials1 computer disks1 website access1 and electronically distributed materials44 #f4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that institutions of higher education should encourage the consideration of open textbooks by faculty within the generally accepted principles of academic freedom that establishes the right and responsibility of faculty members1 individually and collectively1 to select course materials that are pedagogically most appropriate for their classes4 #g4 ,report to ,congress ,not later than ,july #a1 #bjaf1 the ,secretary shall prepare and submit a report to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce of the ,house of ,representatives detailing-- 7#a7 the open textbooks created or adapted under this ,act2 7#b7 the adoption of such open textbooks2 and 7#c7 the savings generated for students1 ,states1 and the ,federal ,government through the use of open textbooks4 #h4 ,,gao report ,not later than ,july #a1 #bjag1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall prepare and submit a report to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce of the ,house of ,representatives on the cost of textbooks to students at institutions of higher education4 ,the report shall particularly examine-- 7#a7 the change of the cost of textbooks2 7#b7 the factors that have contributed to the change of the cost of textbooks2 7#c7 the extent to which open textbooks are used at institutions of higher education2 and 7#d7 the impact of open textbooks on the cost of textbooks4