Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB0326

Creates the Textbook Consumer Information Act. Provides that when contacting prospective clients, each publisher of college textbooks shall disclose to the faculty member or, where applicable, the other entity in charge of selecting textbooks for courses taught at a public institution of higher education (i) the price at which the publisher would make the textbooks and supplementary learning materials available to a college bookstore and (ii) the history of revisions for such products. Provides that any faculty member or entity in charge of selecting textbooks for courses taught at an institution must provide a written statement to the college bookstore placing an order for textbooks detailing all textbooks and supplementary learning materials required for each course, all textbooks and supplementary learning materials suggested for each course, and the earliest edition of any required textbook that may be purchased by a student for that course. Requires college bookstores to make available a listing of all textbooks and supplementary learning materials that are required for courses taught during each term, which shall include new and used textbook retail prices. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill as introduced with the following changes. Removes a provision requiring a college bookstore to publish the required textbook listing on its Internet website or, if no such website exists, post the listing in a non-restricted area of the college bookstore. Requires a public institution of higher education to publish on the institution's Internet website or at other appropriate venues the title, author, International Standard Book Number (ISBN), and retail price of new and used textbooks within reasonable expediency after the information becomes available, and requires the institution to ensure the availability of information regarding how current editions of textbooks differ from previous editions. Provides that an institution with a textbook rental program is excluded from these requirements, except that the institution must comply with these requirements with respect to those textbook and supplementary course materials not included in the textbook rental program. Removes the provisions amending the State Mandates Act. Effective immediately.

Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill as amended by Senate Amendment No. 1, with the following changes. Makes changes concerning the information that publishers must disclose to faculty members. Removes the language concerning faculty requirements; provides instead that any faculty member or entity in charge of selecting textbooks and supplemental materials for courses taught at an institution shall clearly identify to the on-campus college bookstore all textbooks and supplemental materials required and recommended for use for each course and the earliest edition of any required textbook that may be purchased by a student for that course in a manner consistent with the adoption process established by the on-campus college bookstore. Provides that nothing in the Act is intended to alter, impair, or revise the current process by which off-campus college bookstores obtain the identity of textbooks and supplemental materials that have been required or recommended for use for each course in a timely manner. Removes the language concerning bookstore requirements; provides instead that the on-campus and off-campus college bookstore, if any, must, with reasonable expediency after the information becomes available, disclose on a per course basis all textbooks and supplementary learning materials that are required for courses taught during each term. Makes changes concerning the requirements for institutions, including removing the requirement that an institution ensure the availability of information regarding how current editions of textbooks differ from previous editions. Effective immediately.

Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Transparency in College Textbook Publishing Practices Act. Provides that when contacting or being contacted by prospective clients, each publisher of college textbooks shall disclose, at that time and in writing, to the faculty member or, if applicable, the other adopting entity in charge of selecting textbooks for courses taught at a public institution of higher education (1) the copyright dates of past editions of the textbook or supplemental materials for the previous 10 years, if any; (2) the substantial content changes made between the current edition of the textbook or supplemental materials and the previous edition, if any; and (3) the existence and price of alternative formats of the textbook or supplemental materials. Provides that publishers of college textbooks are required to offer all bundled textbooks for sale as individual unbundled textbooks and supplemental materials. Provides that when a faculty member or, if applicable, other adopting entity in charge of selecting textbooks for courses taught at an institution directs a publisher to compile a custom textbook, the publisher shall provide, in writing before the faculty member or entity adopts the custom textbook, the price at which the publisher would make the custom textbook available to the bookstore on the campus of or otherwise associated with the institution. Contains a provision concerning institutional autonomy and academic freedom. Provides that the Attorney General or a State's Attorney may bring a civil action to enforce the Act.

Removes the provision that provides that when a faculty member or, if applicable, other adopting entity in charge of selecting textbooks for courses taught at an institution directs a publisher to compile a custom textbook, the publisher shall provide, in writing before the faculty member or entity adopts the custom textbook, the price at which the publisher would make the custom textbook available to the bookstore on the campus of or otherwise associated with the institution.

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