S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1274
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 9, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE,
CLARK, COOK, CYMBROWITZ, ORTIZ, ROBINSON -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to authorize the trustees of the state university of New York to
create an academic review board for the review of textbooks sold,
purchased or used for academic purposes on all state university of New
York campuses
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. The trustees of the state university of New York are hereby
2 authorized and directed to immediately take all actions to create an
3 academic review board, to consist of twelve members of the full-time
4 faculty of the various state university of New York campuses, whose
5 goals will be to serve as an interface between the publishing industry
6 and the management of the independent bookstores and to explore the
7 issue of textbook costs on all state university of New York campuses
8 providing a course of study leading to the granting of a post-secondary
9 degree, certificate or diploma. Such trustees working in conjunction
10 with the academic review board shall establish all necessary rules and
11 regulations, not later than October 1, 2015, to implement the provisions
12 of this act which shall include, but not be limited to:
13 1. establishing guidelines for the academic review board in which such
14 board will create and mandate cost control policies for the sale and
15 purchase of all textbooks in independent bookstores on all state univer-
16 sity of New York campuses. Such guidelines shall include, but not be
17 limited to recommendations:
18 (a) from the trustees of the state university of New York determining
19 the disciplines under the jurisdiction of the academic review board;
20 (b) from questionnaires, created by the academic review board, which
21 are circulated by such board within their institutions; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06313-01-5
A. 1274 2
1 (c) from members of the publishing industry advising alternative less
2 expensive ways of producing textbooks;
3 2. authorizing the academic review board to require that all publish-
4 ing companies planning to introduce a new edition of an existing text-
5 book shall first justify, based on academic review board criteria, the
6 necessity of a new edition prior to such new textbook edition being
7 sold, purchased, or used for academic purposes by any state university
8 of New York;
9 3. authorizing the academic review board to establish a ceiling for an
10 acceptable percentage increase on the cost of the same edition of a
11 textbook which is being reprinted with no changes to the actual text;
12 and
13 4. requiring that all publishers selling textbooks to be used for
14 academic purposes on all state university of New York campuses mail
15 marketing brochures promoting such textbooks to state university of New
16 York instructors or professors. Complimentary copies of actual text-
17 books, including but not limited to instructor's editions or review
18 copies, shall not, under any circumstances, be sent to any state univer-
19 sity of New York instructor or professor unless such instructor or
20 professor has specifically made such a request.
21 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.