Bill Text: OR HB2963 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

Oregon House Bill 2963 (Prior Session Legislation)

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. + }
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