Bill > SB1052

This bill aims to reduce the cost of textbooks for students in California's public postsecondary education system by establishing the California Open Education Resources Council, which will be responsible for developing or acquiring 50 high-quality, affordable, digital open-source textbooks and related materials for lower-division courses across the University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges. The council, composed of faculty leaders from each segment, will identify courses that are highly enrolled, likely to generate significant savings, and suitable for digital resources, and will ensure that all developed materials meet accessibility requirements for students with disabilities. Additionally, the bill amends existing laws to ensure that publishers provide instructional materials in accessible electronic formats for students with disabilities, and that these digital open-source materials are also made available in such formats, with the ultimate goal of providing students with free online or low-cost physical textbook options. The implementation of these provisions is contingent upon the availability of funding.