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SB-265 Postsecondary education: electronic textbooks.(2013-2014)

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2013–2014 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 265

Introduced by Senator Lara

February 13, 2013

An act relating to postsecondary education.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 265, as introduced, Lara. Postsecondary education: electronic textbooks.
Existing law urges publishers of textbooks to take specified actions aimed at reducing the amounts that students pay for textbooks, including providing to faculty and departments considering textbook orders a list of all the different products the publisher sells. By January 1, 2020, existing law requires publishers of textbooks offered for sale at postsecondary educational institutions to make the textbooks available, in whole or in part, to the extent practicable, in an electronic format, and requires electronic versions of textbooks to include the same content as the printed versions.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would ensure clear and consistent practices surrounding electronic textbooks for the state’s college and university students.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The cost of attending the state’s public colleges and universities has skyrocketed in recent years. While fees often tend to be the most visible cost, other non-tuition-related costs, such as the cost of textbooks, significantly burden both students and their families. For example, the average annual student budget for textbooks at the California Community Colleges can be almost 150 percent of the cost of tuition.
(2) The State Auditor’s Office has reported that increases in textbook prices have significantly outpaced median household income, which makes it more likely that some students will forgo or delay attending college.
(3) In response to these trends, the state has taken several steps to address the rising costs of textbooks, including making textbooks available in electronic format. Electronic textbooks have the potential to increase access and convenience and reduce costs for students.
(4) Students, however, have encountered several problems with online materials, including undisclosed fees, inconsistent refund policies, and unclear access privileges.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would ensure clear and consistent practices surrounding electronic textbooks for the state’s college and university students.