Bill Text: IL HB5494 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Public Higher Education Act. Provides that a public institution of higher education shall display the estimated costs of all required course materials and directly related course fees for no less than 75% of the total number of for-credit courses offered by the public institution of higher education. Sets forth provisions regarding the information to be displayed. Provides that the Board of Higher Education, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and any other interested party identified by the Board of Higher Education, shall adopt, by rule, a list of incidental items that are not required to be reported. Provides that by December 31, 2025, the Board of Higher Education shall submit a report to the General Assembly that details how each public institution of higher education is ensuring compliance with these provisions. Provides that a public institution of higher education shall timely provide to the Board of Higher Education any information that the Board of Higher Education determines is necessary to submit the required report. Provides for rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-09 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB5494 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB5494-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB5494 Introduced , by Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
110 ILCS 167/15 new
Amends the Public Higher Education Act. Provides that a public institution of higher education shall display the estimated costs of all required course materials and directly related course fees for no less than 75% of the total number of for-credit courses offered by the public institution of higher education. Sets forth provisions regarding the information to be displayed. Provides that the Board of Higher Education, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and any other interested party identified by the Board of Higher Education, shall adopt, by rule, a list of incidental items that are not required to be reported. Provides that by December 31, 2025, the Board of Higher Education shall submit a report to the General Assembly that details how each public institution of higher education is ensuring compliance with these provisions. Provides that a public institution of higher education shall timely provide to the Board of Higher Education any information that the Board of Higher Education determines is necessary to submit the required report. Provides for rulemaking. Effective immediately.
LRB103 36949 RJT 67063 b
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
HB5494 LRB103 36949 RJT 67063 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Public Higher Education Act is amended by
adding Section 15 as follows:
(110 ILCS 167/15 new)
Sec. 15. Course cost disclosure.
(a) In this Section:
"Relevant stakeholders" means representatives from public
institutions of higher education, faculty from public
institutions of higher education, students enrolled at public
institutions of higher education, and campus bookstores
affiliated with public institutions of higher education.
(b) A public institution of higher education shall
display, as provided in this Section, the estimated costs of
all required course materials and directly related course fees
for no less than 75% of the total number of for-credit courses
offered by the public institution of higher education. The
display of information required by this subsection (b) shall:
(1) be displayed before course registration begins;
(2) include the title and, if available, the
International Standard Book Number for each book required
for a course; and

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(3) appear in the published course schedule that is
provided on the Internet or is otherwise provided to
students at the time course registration begins for
students, including on any affiliated campus bookstore
course materials list that may be provided for a course.
(c) The display of information required by subsection (b)
of this Section shall apply only to courses for the next
non-summer academic term, regardless of whether a public
institution of higher education permits students to
simultaneously register for successive terms.
(d) The Board of Higher Education, in consultation with
relevant stakeholders and any other interested party
identified by the Board of Higher Education, shall adopt, by
rule, a list of incidental items that are not required to be
reported under subsection (b) of this Section.
(e) In determining which courses a public institution of
higher education is not required to provide information for
under this Section, a public institution of higher education
shall prioritize not providing information for a course in
which:
(1) the instructor of the course either has changed
since the last time the course was taught or will be hired
after the deadline for displaying information under
paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Section; or
(2) the instructor of the course has determined that
previously used course materials are no longer effective

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in delivering the necessary educational outcomes for the
course.
(f) In order to ensure compliance with federal law
requirements regarding timely and accurate course material
information and affordability, including the federal Higher
Education Opportunity Act, a public institution of higher
education shall establish dates by which faculty or
departments must notify the campus bookstore affiliated with
the public institution of higher education of required and
recommended course materials, so that the bookstore may verify
availability, determine prices, source lower cost options if
practicable, explore alternatives with faculty if academically
appropriate, and maximize the availability of format options
for the course materials that are made available to students.
(g) The information that is required to be displayed under
this Section shall be:
(1) secured in a manner determined by the public
institution of higher education;
(2) aggregated by the campus bookstore affiliated with
the public institution higher education; and
(3) displayed for public viewing in the published
course schedule and in any other method deemed acceptable
by the public institution of higher education, in
consultation with the faculty, students, and campus
bookstores affiliated with the public institution of
higher education.

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(h) The faculty and administration of a public institution
of higher education are responsible for supplying the
information required under this Section to the campus
bookstore affiliated with the public institution of higher
education according to a process and deadline established by
the public institution of higher education for each academic
term.
(i) By December 31, 2025, the Board of Higher Education
shall submit a report to the General Assembly that details how
each public institution of higher education is ensuring
compliance with this Section. The Board of Higher Education,
in consultation with relevant stakeholders, shall, by rule,
establish metrics to measure compliance with this Section by
public institutions of higher education. A public institution
of higher education shall timely provide to the Board of
Higher Education any information that the Board of Higher
Education determines is necessary to submit the report
required under this Section.
(j) The Board of Higher Education may adopt any rules
necessary to carry out its responsibilities under this
Section.