Affordable College Textbook Act

Bill 119 hr 1886, also known as the "Open Textbook Pilot Act," aims to increase the availability and use of open textbooks in order to save students money and provide better information on textbook prices. Open textbooks are educational materials that are freely available online and can be accessed and used by anyone.

The bill proposes the creation of a pilot program that would award grants to institutions of higher education to support the adoption, use, and creation of open textbooks. These grants would be used to incentivize faculty to adopt open textbooks in their courses, as well as to support the development of new open textbooks.

The goal of the pilot program is to reduce the financial burden on students by providing them with free or low-cost alternatives to traditional textbooks. By expanding the use of open textbooks, students would have access to high-quality educational materials without having to pay exorbitant prices for traditional textbooks. Additionally, the bill aims to improve transparency around textbook prices by requiring publishers to disclose the cost of textbooks to faculty and students. This would help students make more informed decisions about which textbooks to purchase and potentially put pressure on publishers to lower prices. Overall, Bill 119 hr 1886 seeks to address the rising cost of textbooks and make higher education more affordable for students. By promoting the use of open textbooks and increasing transparency around textbook prices, the bill aims to create a more equitable and accessible educational system.