Affordable College Textbook Act
Affordable College Textbook Act
Plain Language Summary
# Affordable College Textbook Act Summary **What It Does** The Affordable College Textbook Act would create a federal grant program to help colleges and universities use "open textbooks"—educational materials that are free to use, copy, and modify rather than traditionally published textbooks that students must purchase. The Department of Education would distribute grants to institutions or states to support projects expanding access to these open educational resources. **Who It Affects** College students and their families would be the primary beneficiaries, as the bill aims to reduce the cost of textbooks, which are often a significant expense. Colleges and universities would also be affected, as they could apply for grants to develop or adopt open textbooks.
The bill also requires a government study within three years examining why textbook costs have risen over time. **Current Status** The bill (S. 740) was introduced in the 119th Congress by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and remains in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. A similar pilot program for open textbooks has already been federally funded since 2018.
CRS Official Summary
Affordable College Textbook ActThis bill provides statutory authority for an open textbook grant program for institutions of higher education (IHEs). (A similar program, known as the Open Textbooks Pilot program, first received federal funding in FY2018.)Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Education to make grants to IHEs or states on behalf of IHEs to support projects that expand the use of open textbooks. An open textbook is an educational resource that either resides in the public domain or has been released under an intellectual license that permits its free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others.Within three years of the bill's enactment, the Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on the cost of textbooks at IHEs. This report must examine, among other topics, the factors that have contributed to the change in the cost of textbooks.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text: CR S1398-1399)