Bill Text: NY S03661 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Reduces the cost of textbooks and course materials for students of institutions of higher education by requiring every institution of higher education to adopt policies that allow the use of innovative pricing techniques and payment options for textbooks, supplemental materials, and other course materials or textbooks.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-12-28 - COMMITTED TO RULES [S03661 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S03661-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          3661
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    February 11, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
        AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to reducing the cost of
          textbooks for students of institutions of higher education
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 725 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    §  725.  Reduction of cost of textbooks and course materials. 1. Every
     4  institution of higher education as defined in this article is authorized
     5  to adopt policies that allow the use of  innovative  pricing  techniques
     6  and  payment  options  for  textbooks, supplemental materials, and other
     7  course materials or textbooks in accordance with 34 CFR 668.164(c)(2).
     8    2. Policies adopted pursuant to subdivision one of  this  section  may
     9  include,  but  are not limited to, bulk pricing arrangements that enable
    10  students to purchase textbooks or other instructional materials that are
    11  delivered: (a) digitally; (b) through technology that is required to  be
    12  used within a course; or (c) in print format.
    13    3.  Innovative pricing techniques and payment options adopted pursuant
    14  to this section shall include an opt-out provision for students.
    15    4. Innovative pricing techniques and payment options adopted  pursuant
    16  to  this  section  shall be adopted only if there is documented evidence
    17  that the proposed  options  would  result  in  the  textbooks  or  other
    18  instructional  materials  being  made  available  to  students  at below
    19  competitive market rates.
    20    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04944-01-9