,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bajg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #d1 #bjai,mr4 
,neguse 7for himself and ,mr4 ,de,fazio7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was referred to the ,committee on       
,education and ,labor  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
expand the use of open textbooks in     
order to achieve savings for students   
and improve textbook price information4 
#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         
#bjag-bjah academic year1 the average   
student budget for college books and    
supplies at #d-year public institutions 
of higher education was #a1bdj4  7#c7   
,the ,government ,accountability ,office
 found that new textbook prices         
increased #hb percent between #bjjb and 

#bjab 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 ,according to the ,student         
,p,i,r,gs1 expanded use of open         
educational resources has the potential 
to save students more than a billion    
dollars annually4  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  7#g7           
,educational materials1 including open  
educational resources1 must be          
accessible to the widest possible range 
of individuals1 including those with    

disabilities4  #c4 ,open textbook grant 
program  7a7 ,definitions ,in this      
section3  7#a7 ,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#b7 ,open educational resource
 ,the term open educational resource has
 the meaning given the term in section  
#acc of the ,higher ,education ,act of  
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajae;b74  7#c7    
,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#d7 ,relevant faculty ,the 
term relevant faculty means both tenure 
track and contingent faculty members who
 may be involved in the creation or use 
of open textbooks created as part of an 
application under subsection 7d74  7#e7 
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   

the ,secretary of ,education4  7#f7     
,supplemental material ,the term        
supplemental material has the meaning   
given the term in section #acc of the   
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajae;b74  7b7 ,grants        
authorized ,from the amounts            
appropriated under subsection 7k71 the  
,secretary shall make grants1 on a      
competitive basis1 to eligible entities 
to support projects that expand the use 
of open textbooks in order to achieve   
savings for students while maintaining  
or improving instruction and student    
learning outcomes4  7c7 ,eligible entity
 ,in this section1 the term eligible    
entity means an institution of higher   
education1 a group of institutions of   
higher education1 or ,states on behalf  
of institutions of higher education4    
7d7 ,applications  7#a7 ,in general     
,each eligible entity desiring a grant  
under this section1 after consultation  
with relevant faculty1 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 textbooks1     
whether existing open textbooks could be
 used or adapted for the same purpose2  
7,c7 a plan for quality review and      
review of accuracy of any open textbooks
 to be created or adapted through the   
grant2  7,d7 a plan for assessing the   
impact of open textbooks on instruction 
and student learning outcomes at the    
eligible entity2  7,e7 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,f7 
a statement on consultation with        
relevant faculty1 including those       
engaged in the creation of open         
textbooks1 in the development of the    
application4  7e7 ,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  7,d7 
open textbooks created or adapted in    
partnership with entities within        
institutions of higher education1       
including campus bookstores1 that will  
assist in marketing and distribution of 
the open textbook2 and  7,e7 open       
textbooks that are accessible to        
students with disabilities4  7f7 ,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 any 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         
textbooks4  7#c7 ,development or        
improvement of supplemental materials   
and informational resources that are    
necessary to support the use of open    

textbooks1 including accessible         
instructional materials for students    
with disabilities4  7#d7 ,research      
evaluating the efficacy of the use of   
open textbooks for achieving savings for
 students and the impact on instruction 
and student learning outcomes4  7g7     
,license ,for each open textbook1       
supplemental material1 or informational 
resource created or adapted wholly or in
 part under this section that           
constitutes a new copyrightable work1   
the eligible entity receiving the grant 
shall release such textbook1 material1  
or resource to the public under a       
non-exclusive1 royalty-free1 perpetual1 
and irrevocable license to exercise any 
of the rights under copyright           
conditioned only on the requirement that
 attribution be given as directed by the
 copyright owner4  7h7 ,access and      
distribution ,the full and complete     
digital content of each open textbook1  
supplemental material1 or informational 
resource created or adapted wholly or in

 part under this section 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  7#b7 in a machine     
readable1 digital format that anyone can
 directly download1 edit with           
attribution1 and redistribute2 and  7#c7
 in a format that conforms to           
accessibility standards under section   
#ejh of the ,rehabilitation ,act of     
#aigc 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #gid;d71 where     
feasible4  7i7 ,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 project in
 expanding the use of open textbooks and
 in achieving savings for students2     
7#b7 the impact of the project on       
expanding the use of open textbooks at  
institutions of higher education outside
 of the eligible entity2  7#c7 open     

textbooks1 supplemental materials1 and  
informational resources created or      
adapted wholly or in part under the     
grant1 including instructions on where  
the public can access each educational  
resource under the terms of subsection  
7h72  7#d7 the impact of the project on 
instruction and student learning        
outcomes2 and  7#e7 all project costs1  
including the value of any volunteer    
labor and institutional capital used for
 the project4  7j7 ,report to congress  
,not later than #b years after the date 
of enactment of this ,act1 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 ,labor of the ,house of  
,representatives detailing--  7#a7 the  
open textbooks1 supplemental materials1 
and informational resources created or  
adapted wholly or in part under this    
section2  7#b7 the adoption of such open
 textbooks1 including outside of the    

eligible entity2  7#c7 the savings      
generated for students1 ,states1 and the
 ,federal ,government through projects  
supported under this section2 and  7#d7 
the impact of projects supported under  
this section on instruction and student 
learning outcomes4  7k7 ,authorization  
of appropriations ,there are authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out this    
section such sums as are necessary4  #d4
 ,textbook price information ,section   
#acc of the ,higher ,education ,act of  
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajae;b7 is        
amended--  7#a7 in subsection 7b7-- 7,a7
 by striking paragraph 7#f7 and         
inserting the following3  7#f7 ,open    
educational resource ,the term open     
educational resource means a teaching1  
learning1 or research resource that is  
offered freely to users in at least one 
form and that resides in the public     
domain or has been released under an    
open copyright license that allows for  
its free use1 reuse1 modification1 and  
sharing with attribution4  2 and  7,b7  

in paragraph 7#i71 by striking textbook 
that and all that follows through the   
period at the end and inserting textbook
 that may include printed materials1    
computer disks1 website access1 and     
electronically distributed materials42  
7#b7 in subsection 7c77#a7-- 7,a7 in the
 matter preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by 
striking or other person or adopting    
entity in charge of selecting course    
materials and inserting or other person 
or entity in charge of selecting or     
aiding in the discovery and procurement 
of course materials2 and  7,b7 by adding
 at the end the following3  7,e7        
,whether the college textbook or        
supplemental material is an open        
educational resource4  2  7#c7 in       
subsection 7d7-- 7,a7 in the subsection 
heading1 by striking ,,isbn2 and  7,b7  
in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 in the matter   
preceding subparagraph 7,a7--  7,i7 by  
striking disclose1 on the institution's 
,internet course schedule and in a      
manner of the institution's choosing1   

the ,international ,standard ,book      
,number and retail price information and
 inserting verify and disclose 7on1 or  
through a link from1 the institution's  
,internet course schedule and in a      
manner of the institution's choosing7   
the ,international ,standard ,book      
,number and retail price information 2  
7,,ii7 by striking and retail price and 
inserting 1 retail price1 and any       
applicable fee2  7,,iii7 by inserting 1 
and whether each required and           
recommended textbook and supplemental   
material is an open educational         
resource1 after supplemental materials2 
and  7,,iv7 by striking used for        
preregistration and registration        
purposes2 and  7ii7 in subparagraph     
7,b71 by striking for a college textbook
 or supplemental material1 then the     
institution shall so indicate by placing
 the designation ,to ,be ,determined and
 inserting or available for a college   
textbook or supplemental material1 then 
the institution shall indicate the      

status of such information2  7#d7 by    
striking subsection 7e7 and inserting   
the following3  7e7 ,availability of    
information for college bookstores  7#a7
 ,in general ,an institution of higher  
education receiving ,federal financial  
assistance shall assist a college       
bookstore that is operated by1 or in a  
contractual relationship or otherwise   
affiliated with1 the institution1 in    
obtaining required and recommended      
course materials information and such   
course schedule and enrollment          
information as is reasonably required to
 implement this section so that such    
bookstore may-- 7,a7 verify availability
 of such materials2  7,b7 source lower  
cost options1 including presenting lower
 cost alternatives to faculty for       
faculty to consider1 when practicable2  
and  7,c7 maximize the availability of  
format options for students4  7#b7 ,due 
dates ,in carrying out paragraph 7#a71  
an institution of higher education may  
establish due dates for faculty or      

departments to notify the campus        
bookstore of required and recommended   
course materials4  2  7#e7 in subsection
 7f7--  7,a7 by redesignating paragraphs
 7#c7 and 7#d7 as paragraphs 7#d7 and   
7#e72 and  7,b7 by inserting after      
paragraph 7#b7 the following3  7#c7     
available open educational resources2  2
 and  7#f7 by striking subsection 7g7   
and redesignating subsections 7h7 and   
7i7 as subsections 7g7 and 7h71         
respectively4  #e4 ,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  #f4 ,,gao report ,not later  
than #c years after the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 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 ,labor
 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 implementation of section #acc 
of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajae;b71 as amended by  
section #d1 including-- 7,a7 the        
availability of college textbook and    
open educational resource information on
 course schedules2  7,b7 the compliance 
of publishers with applicable           
requirements under such section2 and    
7,c7 the costs and benefits to          
institutions of higher education and to 
students2  7#b7 the change in the cost  
of textbooks2  7#c7 the factors1        
including open textbooks1 that have     
contributed to the change of the cost of
 textbooks2  7#d7 the extent to which   

open textbooks are used at institutions 
of higher education2 and  7#e7 how      
institutions are tracking the impact of 
open textbooks on instruction and       
student learning outcomes4