Bill Text: TX SB2240 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishing a digital textbook and learning materials subscription pilot program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-04-24 - Co-author authorized [SB2240 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB2240-Introduced.html
88R4022 CXP-D | ||
By: LaMantia | S.B. No. 2240 |
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relating to establishing a digital textbook and learning materials | ||
subscription pilot program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 61.0667 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 61.0667. DIGITAL TEXTBOOK AND LEARNING MATERIALS | ||
SUBSCRIPTION PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Digital textbook and learning materials | ||
subscription program" means a subscription program to a platform | ||
that includes unrestricted access to digital textbooks, study | ||
tools, online homework platforms, and other educational resources | ||
used to improve student outcomes. | ||
(2) "Lower-division institution of higher education" | ||
means a public junior college, public state college, or public | ||
technical institute. | ||
(b) The board shall establish a pilot program under which | ||
the board awards grants to participating lower-division | ||
institutions of higher education to provide financial assistance to | ||
eligible students for the cost of subscribing to the digital | ||
textbook and learning materials subscription program selected by | ||
the board under Subsection (e). | ||
(c) The board shall select lower-division institutions of | ||
higher education to participate in the pilot program. In selecting | ||
institutions, the board shall, to the extent possible: | ||
(1) select institutions in both rural and urban areas | ||
of this state; and | ||
(2) prioritize institutions with large socially and | ||
economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented | ||
student populations. | ||
(d) A participating lower-division institution of higher | ||
education must use grant funds awarded under this section to | ||
provide financial assistance to eligible students for all or part | ||
of the cost of subscribing to the digital textbook and learning | ||
materials subscription program selected by the board under | ||
Subsection (e). The participating institution shall determine the | ||
eligibility criteria for a student to receive financial assistance | ||
under the pilot program and must prioritize providing financial | ||
assistance to economically disadvantaged students. | ||
(e) The board shall engage in a competitive bidding process | ||
to select the digital textbook and learning materials subscription | ||
to be used in the pilot program. The subscription selected by the | ||
board must provide 24-hour technical support services to | ||
subscribers. | ||
(f) Not later than September 1, 2026, the board shall | ||
prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the | ||
speaker of the house of representatives, and the presiding officer | ||
of each legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction | ||
over higher education a report that evaluates the effectiveness of | ||
the pilot program in improving student outcomes. The report must | ||
include a recommendation regarding whether the pilot program should | ||
be continued, expanded, or terminated. | ||
(g) This section expires September 1, 2027. | ||
SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating | ||
Board shall adopt rules to administer the pilot program established | ||
under Section 61.0667, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon | ||
as practicable after the effective date of this Act. | ||
(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and | ||
participating lower-division institutions of higher education | ||
shall award initial grants under Section 61.0667, Education Code, | ||
as added by this Act, beginning with the 2024 spring semester. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |