95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0325

 

Introduced 2/7/2007, by Sen. Mattie Hunter

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
30 ILCS 805/8.31 new

    Creates the Textbook Advisory Committee Act. Requires a textbook advisory committee to be established in the office of the provost or chief academic officer of each public institution of higher education in this State. Specifies who must serve on the committee. Provides that a committee shall establish and implement certain policies with respect to textbooks. Provides that the committee shall report annually to the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board, as appropriate, on measures undertaken to reduce textbook costs and provide students with cost-saving alternatives. Requires certain information to be included in the report. Repeals the Act on June 30, 2015. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.


LRB095 08710 NHT 28893 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB0325 LRB095 08710 NHT 28893 b

1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Textbook Advisory Committee Act.
 
6     Section 5. Findings; purpose. The General Assembly finds
7 that the State and its residents would benefit from increased
8 affordability at public institutions of higher education. In
9 pursuit of this common goal, the faculty and administration at
10 all public institutions of higher education must consider the
11 most cost-effective practices in textbook decision-making. The
12 purpose of this Act is to foster the development of
13 institutional textbook adoption policies with the aim of
14 reducing textbook costs to students.
 
15     Section 10. Definition. In this Act, "public institution
16 of higher education" means an institution that is included in
17 the definition of "public institutions of higher education"
18 under the Board of Higher Education Act.
 
19     Section 15. Textbook advisory committees established. A
20 textbook advisory committee must be established in the office
21 of the provost or chief academic officer of each public

 

 

SB0325 - 2 - LRB095 08710 NHT 28893 b

1 institution of higher education. The committee must be
2 comprised of cross-disciplinary teams of faculty and
3 representatives of the administration, representatives of the
4 bookstore or bookstores that provide textbooks, and students.
 
5     Section 20. Policies. A textbook advisory committee
6 established under this Act shall establish and implement
7 policies to do all of the following:
8         (1) Establish deadlines for faculty to notify a
9     bookstore or bookstores of textbooks selected for the
10     pending semester or other term.
11         (2) Ensure the publication, on the public institution
12     of higher education's Internet website or at other
13     appropriate venues, of the title, author, International
14     Standard Book Number (ISBN), and retail price of new and
15     used textbooks by 60 days before the start of the semester
16     or other term; and ensure the availability of information
17     regarding how current editions of textbooks differ from
18     previous editions.
19         (3) Prohibit employees of the public institution of
20     higher education and academic departments from receiving
21     payments in exchange for selection of specific course
22     materials. This item (3) does not preclude an employee from
23     receiving royalties based on the sales of his or her own
24     work.
25         (4) Foster the establishment of textbook reserves,

 

 

SB0325 - 3 - LRB095 08710 NHT 28893 b

1     including online electronic collections ("e-reserves"),
2     for student use in campus libraries or academic
3     departments, free of charge.
4         (5) Encourage buy-back programs to expand the
5     availability of used textbooks and reduce student costs.
6         (6) Provide support for the creation or operation of
7     campus book swaps.
8     The committee may implement other policies as desired to
9 provide textbook cost savings to students.
 
10     Section 25. Report. A textbook advisory committee
11 established under this Act shall report annually to the Board
12 of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board, as
13 appropriate, on measures undertaken to reduce textbook costs
14 and provide students with cost-saving alternatives. The report
15 shall include a full listing of student costs for a
16 representative sample of textbooks for coursework for
17 first-time, full-time students in a manner prescribed by the
18 Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College
19 Board, as appropriate.
 
20     Section 80. Expiration. This Act is repealed on June 30,
21 2015.
 
22     Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding
23 Section 8.31 as follows:
 

 

 

SB0325 - 4 - LRB095 08710 NHT 28893 b

1     (30 ILCS 805/8.31 new)
2     Sec. 8.31. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8
3 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the
4 implementation of any mandate created by the Textbook Advisory
5 Committee Act.