Bill > HB3247

This bill, titled the Open College Textbook Act, establishes a grant program administered by the Board of Higher Education to address the high cost of college textbooks, which can be a barrier to higher education. The program will award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities, including state institutions of higher education, professors, and organizations that produce open textbooks. An "open textbook" is defined as a digital course material licensed under an "open license," which is a legal permission allowing the public to freely access, modify, and share the material. The grants will fund the creation, updating, or adaptation of these open textbooks, with the goal of developing a comprehensive collection of high-quality materials for introductory college courses across various subjects. The bill also outlines requirements for grant applications, including plans for quality review, accessibility, distribution, and adoption tracking, and mandates that the Board establish a peer review process to ensure the quality and accuracy of the created materials. Furthermore, it requires that all educational materials funded by these grants be made freely available online for public use and modification, and the Board will report to the General Assembly on the impact of the program, including student savings.