HB0332 EnrolledLRB102 10484 CMG 15813 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    WHEREAS, Postsecondary education is increasingly necessary
3for success in the modern workforce; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The affordability of college is an ongoing
5concern for students, families, and State policymakers; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The equitable first-day-of-class access to
7effective textbooks and other learning materials plays a
8critical role in a student's postsecondary educational
9experience; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Institutions of higher learning within and
11outside of this State are utilizing online educational
12software to enhance and personalize a student's learning
13experience while driving down the costs of attending college;
14therefore,
 
15    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
16represented in the General Assembly:
 
17    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
18College Course Materials Affordability and Equitable Access
19Collaborative Study Act.
 

 

 

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1    Section 5. College Course Materials Affordability and
2Equitable Access Task Force; membership.
3    (a) The College Course Materials Affordability and
4Equitable Access Task Force is created within the Illinois
5Student Assistance Commission.
6    (b) The Task Force shall consist of all of the following
7members:
8        (1) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
9    the President of the Senate.
10        (2) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
11    the Minority Leader of the Senate.
12        (3) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
13    the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
14        (4) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
15    the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
16        (5) One member of the public appointed by the
17    President of the Senate.
18        (6) One member of the public appointed by the Minority
19    Leader of the Senate.
20        (7) One member of the public appointed by the Speaker
21    of the House of Representatives.
22        (8) One member of the public appointed by the Minority
23    Leader of the House of Representatives.
24        (9) One member representing an institution of higher
25    learning appointed by the President of the Senate.
26        (10) One member representing an institution of higher

 

 

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1    learning appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.
2        (11) One member representing an institution of higher
3    learning appointed by the Speaker of the House of
4    Representatives.
5        (12) One member representing an institution of higher
6    learning appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
7    Representatives.
8        (13) The following members appointed by the Governor:
9            (A) One member representing the Board of Higher
10        Education.
11            (B) One member representing the Illinois Community
12        College Board.
13            (C) One member representing the Illinois Student
14        Assistance Commission.
15            (D) One member representing the Faculty Advisory
16        Council of the Board of Higher Education.
17            (E) One member representing the Student Advisory
18        Council of the Board of Higher Education.
19            (F) One member who is a librarian or online
20        education specialist.
21            (G) One member representing a national association
22        representing the higher education textbook publishing
23        industry.
24            (H) One member representing a statewide
25        professional organization that advocates on behalf of
26        public university employees.

 

 

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1            (I) One member representing a statewide
2        professional organization that advocates on behalf of
3        public community college employees.
4            (J) One member representing a national association
5        representing higher education book stores in this
6        State.
7            (K) One member representing a higher education
8        digital content platform provider with offices located
9        within this State.
10    (b) Appointments to the Task Force shall be made within 90
11days after the effective date of this Act.
12    (c) The Task Force shall meet initially at the call of the
13Illinois Student Assistance Commission, shall elect a
14chairperson from among the appointed members at the Task
15Force's initial meeting, and shall thereafter meet at the call
16of the chairperson.
17    (d) The chairperson and other members of the Task Force
18shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for
19their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds
20appropriated to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for
21that purpose, including travel, subject to the rules of the
22appropriate travel control board.
 
23    Section 10. Illinois Student Assistance Commission
24assistance.
25    (a) The Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall

 

 

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1provide administrative support, staff support, and other
2resources necessary for the College Course Materials
3Affordability and Equitable Access Task Force to fulfill the
4Task Force's obligations under this Act.
5    (b) The Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall
6designate a staff member to serve as a point of contact between
7the Task Force and the public and to serve as a technology and
8policy advisor to assist the Task Force. The Commission shall
9provide a public website or web page for the Task Force to
10publish digital meeting notices, minutes, commentary, draft
11reports, reports, and other relevant documents and information
12online.
 
13    Section 15. Meetings.
14    (a) Meetings of the College Course Materials Affordability
15and Equitable Access Task Force are subject to the Open
16Meetings Act. The Task Force shall make available to the
17public online meeting notices at least 10 days in advance of
18any Task Force meeting and shall publish meeting minutes that
19are available to the public within 14 days after the meeting to
20allow for structured written and verbal commentary by the
21public throughout the process.
22    (b) The Task Force shall establish and maintain a contact
23list of all members of the public who seek to be apprised of
24the work of the Task Force to allow for electronic
25notification, by email or by any other mutually agreed-upon

 

 

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1method, of Task Force meetings, agendas, minutes, draft
2reports, reports, and other communications regarding the work
3of the Task Force.
4    (c) The Task Force may conduct its work remotely via
5telephone and online video broadcasting, including through
6audio and video conferencing applications. The Task Force
7shall allow for public observation and structured
8participation via telephone and online video broadcasting for
9all meetings conducted by the Task Force.
 
10    Section 20. Duties.
11    (a) The duties of the College Course Materials
12Affordability and Equitable Access Task Force are to:
13        (1) conduct a collaborative college course materials
14    affordability and equitable access study;
15        (2) examine the cost-saving methods and practices
16    utilized by public and private institutions of higher
17    learning in this State and throughout the United States
18    for improving students' equitable first-day-of-class
19    access to required course materials and conduct an
20    affordability comparison of providing students' course
21    materials, including digital learning tools; and
22        (3) submit a report of its findings to the Governor,
23    the General Assembly, and the Illinois Student Assistance
24    Commission.
25    (b) The report required to be submitted under subsection

 

 

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1(a) shall include all of the following items:
2        (1) A list of cost-saving methods available to
3    students, including, but not limited to:
4            (A) inclusive access programs;
5            (B) textbook subscription programs;
6            (C) textbook rental programs;
7            (D) used textbooks; and
8            (E) other institutional textbook cost-saving
9            methods, such as open educational resources.
10        (2) The total amount of cost savings achieved by
11    public and private institutions of higher learning and the
12    total number of students that utilize each cost-saving
13    method.
14        (3) The equitable access achieved for students by
15    providing all students with access to course materials on
16    the first day of class.
17        (4) The potential impact on academic freedom of
18    faculty to be able to choose the most appropriate
19    materials for their courses for each of the various
20    methods of providing course materials.
21        (5) A description of the process required to implement
22    each cost-saving method listed in paragraph (1) of this
23    subsection (b).
24        (6) A description of the process by which students
25    obtain required course materials.
26        (7) The current, future, and potential costs of the

 

 

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1    development and maintenance necessary for the utilization
2    of any course material that is provided to students at no
3    charge.
4        (8) The identification of best practices resulting
5    from the cost-saving methods listed in paragraph (1) of
6    this subsection (b).
7        (9) An examination of the following areas in relation
8    to improving equity in higher education to determine
9    whether the methods:
10            (A) improved equitable access to required course
11        materials by the first day of class;
12            (B) increased the affordability of required course
13        materials; and
14            (C) improved access to learning materials and
15        improved student outcomes for minority, low-income,
16        and first-generation students.
17        (10) A description of the ways students and faculty
18    are utilizing or have utilized inclusive access programs,
19    subscription programs, textbook rental programs, used
20    textbooks, and open educational resources for the purposes
21    of remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
22    health crisis.
 
23    Section 25. Collaboration. As part of the College Course
24Materials Affordability and Equitable Access Task Force's
25information gathering process to prepare its report under

 

 

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1Section 20, the Task Force shall engage and consult with
2higher education administrators, faculty, campus bookstores,
3publishers, librarians, and other online education specialists
4for their perspectives on the topics covered by this Act. The
5Task Force may also seek advice and input from such other
6persons and entities as the Task Force finds helpful to its
7work as outlined in this Act.
 
8    Section 30. Reporting; dissolution.
9    (a) No later than October 1, 2022, the Task Force shall
10submit an initial collaborative report of its findings to the
11Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Student
12Assistance Commission. The Illinois Student Assistance
13Commission shall publish the initial collaborative report of
14the Task Force's findings on the Commission's website. Members
15of the public and other interested parties shall have until
16February 1, 2023 to submit written comments with regard to the
17initial collaborative report. The Commission shall publish
18comments submitted by members of the public or other
19interested parties on its website.
20    (b) No later than March 31, 2023, the Task Force shall
21submit a final collaborative report of its findings to the
22Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Student
23Assistance Commission. The Illinois Student Assistance
24Commission shall publish the final collaborative report of the
25Task Force's findings on the Commission's website.

 

 

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1    (c) The Task Force is dissolved on March 31, 2024.
 
2    Section 90. Repeal. This Act is repealed on March 31,
32025.
 
4    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5becoming law.