HR0457 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0457 LRB098 12401 GRL 46793 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The federal Higher Education Opportunity Act and the Illinois Transparency in College Textbook Publishing Practices Act are laws that provide for transparency and ready availability of textbook and course material pricing and sales information and the unbundling of course materials; and

WHEREAS, Publishers have increased the availability of affordable options by producing unbundled, black and white, unbound, and electronic versions of textbooks and course materials; and

WHEREAS, Campus bookstores, both online and in-store, have increased the availability of lower cost alternatives for students by offering students choices between bundled products and components, print or digital formats, and choices in purchase versus rental; and

WHEREAS, Campus bookstores prominently display format and pricing options via shelf tags and other point of purchase materials to students in store and online; and

WHEREAS, While these alternative options, which offer more variety in pricing and can be more affordable to students and meet their specific needs or learning styles, are available for students, more education and outreach is needed to ensure students are fully aware of these options; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Board of Higher Education Student Advisory Committee, and other student leaders, college officials, faculty, college bookstores, and publishers to discuss ways that college students may be better informed of these different textbook options and how access to them can be increased, without adversely impacting any existing textbook rental or already established access or affordability programs available to Illinois students; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor and to each member of the Illinois General Assembly.