Bill Text: OR HB2963 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to higher education textbooks; declaring an emergency.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Failed) 2011-06-30 - In committee upon adjournment. [HB2963 Detail]
Download: Oregon-2011-HB2963-Introduced.html
76th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2011 Regular Session NOTE: Matter within { + braces and plus signs + } in an amended section is new. Matter within { - braces and minus signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within { + braces and plus signs + } . LC 2498 House Bill 2963 Sponsored by Representative DEMBROW; Representatives BARKER, DOHERTY, GELSER, GREENLICK, HARKER, HOLVEY (Presession filed.) SUMMARY The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced. Directs Joint Boards of Education to prepare report on strategies for reducing higher education textbook costs. Sunsets on convening of 2013 legislative session. Declares emergency, effective on passage. A BILL FOR AN ACT Relating to higher education textbooks; and declaring an emergency. Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. { + (1) The Joint Boards of Education shall examine and recommend adoption of strategies for making textbooks more affordable for students at all post-secondary institutions in this state. (2) The Joint Boards of Education shall analyze the success and shortcomings of ORS 337.500 to 337.506 and the textbook affordability provisions of the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 regarding textbook bundling and price disclosure for textbooks. (3) In their report, the Joint Boards of Education shall: (a) Identify and examine textbook cost-savings strategies, including: (A) Statewide bulk purchasing of textbooks; (B) Statewide used book exchanges; (C) Use of lower cost instructional materials, such as open source textbooks and other open source materials; (D) Promotion of instructor-created open source textbooks by Oregon faculty or teams of Oregon faculty; (E) Use of statewide licenses for textbooks; (F) Use of shared online materials; (G) Creation of a statewide central repository allowing instructors to locate and use free or low-cost materials; and (H) Partnering with other state, regional and national organizations in adopting textbook cost-savings strategies; (b) Recommend implementation strategies and, through the State Board of Higher Education and the State Board of Education, direct community colleges and institutions of higher education to implement the strategies; and (c) Analyze potential cost savings for kindergarten through grade 12 school districts. (4) The Joint Boards of Education shall solicit significant participation in preparing its report from students and faculty at community colleges and institutions of higher education. (5) Any strategies recommended in the report must respect the principles of academic freedom, maintain quality of instruction, foster student success and respect copyright law. (6) The report must identify recommended strategies that require rule adoption by the State Board of Higher Education and the State Board of Education, and strategies that require additional legislation. (7) The Joint Boards of Education shall hold at least three public meetings during the preparation of the report to discuss its progress and solicit additional participation from students, faculty and the general public. (8) The final report from the Joint Boards of Education must be submitted to an interim committee of the Legislative Assembly with subject matter authority over higher education prior to October 1, 2012. + } SECTION 2. { + Section 1 of this 2011 Act is repealed on the date of the convening of the 2013 legislative session. + } SECTION 3. { + This 2011 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2011 Act takes effect on its passage. + } ----------