Bill Text: NY S07954 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to enacting the "free resources for equitable education (FREE) act"; requires State University of New York higher education institutions to designate all general education and 25 percent of all major specific courses as low textbook cost (LTC) or zero textbook cost (ZTC).

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-01-04 - REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION [S07954 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S07954-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7954

                    IN SENATE

                                     January 4, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation  to  enacting  the  "free
          resources for equitable education (FREE) act"

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. This act shall be known and  may  be  cited  as  the  "free
     2  resources for equitable education (FREE) act".
     3    §  2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 716 to read
     4  as follows:
     5    § 716. Free resources for equitable education (FREE) act. 1.  As  used
     6  in  this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings,
     7  unless referenced otherwise:
     8    (a) "general education" refers  to  courses  which  do  not  expressly
     9  satisfy major specific requirements, including pre-requisite courses;
    10    (b)  "institutions  of higher education" means the state university of
    11  New York or institutions recognized and approved by the regents  of  the
    12  University  of  the  State  of New York, which provide a course of study
    13  leading to the granting of a post-secondary degree or diploma;
    14    (c) "low textbook cost (LTC)" means the designation assigned to cours-
    15  es to demonstrate that required textbooks do not cost  more  than  forty
    16  dollars;
    17    (d) "major specific" refers to any course that is considered expressly
    18  necessary  to  the  continued  development and teachings of key concepts
    19  within a given major;
    20    (e) "textbook" means any textbook that is adopted for use in  a  given
    21  course,  as  determined  by  the presiding faculty or faculty members or
    22  entity charged with selecting such textbooks; and
    23    (f) "zero textbook cost  (ZTC)"  means  the  designation  assigned  to
    24  courses  to  demonstrate  that  it  does not require the purchase of any
    25  textbook.
    26    2. All general education courses offered by an institution  of  higher
    27  education in which textbooks are assigned by a professor or other facul-
    28  ty member shall have a ZTC or LTC designation.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03079-01-3
        S. 7954                             2

     1    3.  Twenty-five  percent  of  all major specific courses offered by an
     2  institution of higher education in which textbooks  are  assigned  by  a
     3  professor or other faculty member shall have a ZTC or LTC designation.
     4    4.  Institutions of higher education shall determine which courses and
     5  the corresponding textbooks are designated ZTC or LTC.
     6    5. ZTC and LTC designations shall be clearly visible and easily acces-
     7  sible by students in any course information materials or course  enroll-
     8  ment  system.  If  a course designation changes for any reason, students
     9  shall be allowed to secure an appropriate replacement course or  discon-
    10  tinue any course without any financial or other institutional penalty.
    11    6.  Institutions of higher education shall institute this section in a
    12  manner that does not redistribute the financial cost  of  such  textbook
    13  designations  on  students  including  but not limited to assigning more
    14  textbooks in other courses or increasing tuition or students' fees.
    15    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    16  it shall have become a law; provided, however, the amendments to article
    17  15-B of the education law made by section two  of  this  act  shall  not
    18  affect  the  repeal  of such article and shall be deemed repealed there-
    19  with.