|
Public Act 102-0122
|
| HB0332 Enrolled | LRB102 10484 CMG 15813 b |
|
|
AN ACT concerning education.
|
WHEREAS, Postsecondary education is increasingly necessary |
for success in the modern workforce; and
|
WHEREAS, The affordability of college is an ongoing |
concern for students, families, and State policymakers; and
|
WHEREAS, The equitable first-day-of-class access to |
effective textbooks and other learning materials plays a |
critical role in a student's postsecondary educational |
experience; and
|
WHEREAS, Institutions of higher learning within and |
outside of this State are utilizing online educational |
software to enhance and personalize a student's learning |
experience while driving down the costs of attending college; |
therefore,
|
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
|
represented in the General Assembly:
|
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the |
College Course Materials Affordability and Equitable Access |
Collaborative Study Act.
|
|
Section 5. College Course Materials Affordability and |
Equitable Access Task Force; membership. |
(a) The College Course Materials Affordability and |
Equitable Access Task Force is created within the Illinois |
Student Assistance Commission. |
(b) The Task Force shall consist of all of the following |
members: |
(1) One member of the General Assembly appointed by |
the President of the Senate. |
(2) One member of the General Assembly appointed by |
the Minority Leader of the Senate. |
(3) One member of the General Assembly appointed by |
the Speaker of the House of Representatives. |
(4) One member of the General Assembly appointed by |
the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. |
(5) One member of the public appointed by the |
President of the Senate. |
(6) One member of the public appointed by the Minority |
Leader of the Senate. |
(7) One member of the public appointed by the Speaker |
of the House of Representatives. |
(8) One member of the public appointed by the Minority |
Leader of the House of Representatives. |
(9) One member representing an institution of higher |
learning appointed by the President of the Senate. |
(10) One member representing an institution of higher |
|
learning appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate. |
(11) One member representing an institution of higher |
learning appointed by the Speaker of the House of |
Representatives. |
(12) One member representing an institution of higher |
learning appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of |
Representatives. |
(13) The following members appointed by the Governor: |
(A) One member representing the Board of Higher |
Education. |
(B) One member representing the Illinois Community |
College Board. |
(C) One member representing the Illinois Student |
Assistance Commission. |
(D) One member representing the Faculty Advisory |
Council of the Board of Higher Education. |
(E) One member representing the Student Advisory |
Council of the Board of Higher Education. |
(F) One member who is a librarian or online |
education specialist. |
(G) One member representing a national association |
representing the higher education textbook publishing |
industry. |
(H) One member representing a statewide |
professional organization that advocates on behalf of |
public university employees. |
|
(I) One member representing a statewide |
professional organization that advocates on behalf of |
public community college employees. |
(J) One member representing a national association |
representing higher education book stores in this |
State. |
(K) One member representing a higher education |
digital content platform provider with offices located |
within this State. |
(b) Appointments to the Task Force shall be made within 90 |
days after the effective date of this Act. |
(c) The Task Force shall meet initially at the call of the |
Illinois Student Assistance Commission, shall elect a |
chairperson from among the appointed members at the Task |
Force's initial meeting, and shall thereafter meet at the call |
of the chairperson. |
(d) The chairperson and other members of the Task Force |
shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for |
their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds |
appropriated to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for |
that purpose, including travel, subject to the rules of the |
appropriate travel control board.
|
Section 10. Illinois Student Assistance Commission |
assistance. |
(a) The Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall |
|
provide administrative support, staff support, and other |
resources necessary for the College Course Materials |
Affordability and Equitable Access Task Force to fulfill the |
Task Force's obligations under this Act. |
(b) The Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall |
designate a staff member to serve as a point of contact between |
the Task Force and the public and to serve as a technology and |
policy advisor to assist the Task Force. The Commission shall |
provide a public website or web page for the Task Force to |
publish digital meeting notices, minutes, commentary, draft |
reports, reports, and other relevant documents and information |
online.
|
Section 15. Meetings. |
(a) Meetings of the College Course Materials Affordability |
and Equitable Access Task Force are subject to the Open |
Meetings Act. The Task Force shall make available to the |
public online meeting notices at least 10 days in advance of |
any Task Force meeting and shall publish meeting minutes that |
are available to the public within 14 days after the meeting to |
allow for structured written and verbal commentary by the |
public throughout the process. |
(b) The Task Force shall establish and maintain a contact |
list of all members of the public who seek to be apprised of |
the work of the Task Force to allow for electronic |
notification, by email or by any other mutually agreed-upon |
|
method, of Task Force meetings, agendas, minutes, draft |
reports, reports, and other communications regarding the work |
of the Task Force. |
(c) The Task Force may conduct its work remotely via |
telephone and online video broadcasting, including through |
audio and video conferencing applications. The Task Force |
shall allow for public observation and structured |
participation via telephone and online video broadcasting for |
all meetings conducted by the Task Force.
|
Section 20. Duties. |
(a) The duties of the College Course Materials |
Affordability and Equitable Access Task Force are to: |
(1) conduct a collaborative college course materials |
affordability and equitable access study; |
(2) examine the cost-saving methods and practices |
utilized by public and private institutions of higher |
learning in this State and throughout the United States |
for improving students' equitable first-day-of-class |
access to required course materials and conduct an |
affordability comparison of providing students' course |
materials, including digital learning tools; and |
(3) submit a report of its findings to the Governor, |
the General Assembly, and the Illinois Student Assistance |
Commission. |
(b) The report required to be submitted under subsection |
|
(a) shall include all of the following items: |
(1) A list of cost-saving methods available to |
students, including, but not limited to: |
(A) inclusive access programs; |
(B) textbook subscription programs; |
(C) textbook rental programs; |
(D) used textbooks; and |
(E) other institutional textbook cost-saving |
methods, such as open educational resources. |
(2) The total amount of cost savings achieved by |
public and private institutions of higher learning and the |
total number of students that utilize each cost-saving |
method. |
(3) The equitable access achieved for students by |
providing all students with access to course materials on |
the first day of class. |
(4) The potential impact on academic freedom of |
faculty to be able to choose the most appropriate |
materials for their courses for each of the various |
methods of providing course materials. |
(5) A description of the process required to implement |
each cost-saving method listed in paragraph (1) of this |
subsection (b). |
(6) A description of the process by which students |
obtain required course materials. |
(7) The current, future, and potential costs of the |
|
development and maintenance necessary for the utilization |
of any course material that is provided to students at no |
charge. |
(8) The identification of best practices resulting |
from the cost-saving methods listed in paragraph (1) of |
this subsection (b). |
(9) An examination of the following areas in relation |
to improving equity in higher education to determine |
whether the methods: |
(A) improved equitable access to required course |
materials by the first day of class; |
(B) increased the affordability of required course |
materials; and |
(C) improved access to learning materials and |
improved student outcomes for minority, low-income, |
and first-generation students. |
(10) A description of the ways students and faculty |
are utilizing or have utilized inclusive access programs, |
subscription programs, textbook rental programs, used |
textbooks, and open educational resources for the purposes |
of remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic |
health crisis.
|
Section 25. Collaboration. As part of the College Course |
Materials Affordability and Equitable Access Task Force's |
information gathering process to prepare its report under |
|
Section 20, the Task Force shall engage and consult with |
higher education administrators, faculty, campus bookstores, |
publishers, librarians, and other online education specialists |
for their perspectives on the topics covered by this Act. The |
Task Force may also seek advice and input from such other |
persons and entities as the Task Force finds helpful to its |
work as outlined in this Act.
|
Section 30. Reporting; dissolution. |
(a) No later than October 1, 2022, the Task Force shall |
submit an initial collaborative report of its findings to the |
Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Student |
Assistance Commission. The Illinois Student Assistance |
Commission shall publish the initial collaborative report of |
the Task Force's findings on the Commission's website. Members |
of the public and other interested parties shall have until |
February 1, 2023 to submit written comments with regard to the |
initial collaborative report. The Commission shall publish |
comments submitted by members of the public or other |
interested parties on its website. |
(b) No later than March 31, 2023, the Task Force shall |
submit a final collaborative report of its findings to the |
Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Student |
Assistance Commission. The Illinois Student Assistance |
Commission shall publish the final collaborative report of the |
Task Force's findings on the Commission's website. |