Public Act 102-0122
 
HB0332 EnrolledLRB102 10484 CMG 15813 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    WHEREAS, Postsecondary education is increasingly necessary
for success in the modern workforce; and
 
    WHEREAS, The affordability of college is an ongoing
concern for students, families, and State policymakers; and
 
    WHEREAS, The equitable first-day-of-class access to
effective textbooks and other learning materials plays a
critical role in a student's postsecondary educational
experience; and
 
    WHEREAS, Institutions of higher learning within and
outside of this State are utilizing online educational
software to enhance and personalize a student's learning
experience while driving down the costs of attending college;
therefore,
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
College Course Materials Affordability and Equitable Access
Collaborative Study Act.
 
    Section 5. College Course Materials Affordability and
Equitable Access Task Force; membership.
    (a) The College Course Materials Affordability and
Equitable Access Task Force is created within the Illinois
Student Assistance Commission.
    (b) The Task Force shall consist of all of the following
members:
        (1) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
    the President of the Senate.
        (2) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
    the Minority Leader of the Senate.
        (3) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
    the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
        (4) One member of the General Assembly appointed by
    the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
        (5) One member of the public appointed by the
    President of the Senate.
        (6) One member of the public appointed by the Minority
    Leader of the Senate.
        (7) One member of the public appointed by the Speaker
    of the House of Representatives.
        (8) One member of the public appointed by the Minority
    Leader of the House of Representatives.
        (9) One member representing an institution of higher
    learning appointed by the President of the Senate.
        (10) One member representing an institution of higher
    learning appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.
        (11) One member representing an institution of higher
    learning appointed by the Speaker of the House of
    Representatives.
        (12) One member representing an institution of higher
    learning appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
    Representatives.
        (13) The following members appointed by the Governor:
            (A) One member representing the Board of Higher
        Education.
            (B) One member representing the Illinois Community
        College Board.
            (C) One member representing the Illinois Student
        Assistance Commission.
            (D) One member representing the Faculty Advisory
        Council of the Board of Higher Education.
            (E) One member representing the Student Advisory
        Council of the Board of Higher Education.
            (F) One member who is a librarian or online
        education specialist.
            (G) One member representing a national association
        representing the higher education textbook publishing
        industry.
            (H) One member representing a statewide
        professional organization that advocates on behalf of
        public university employees.
            (I) One member representing a statewide
        professional organization that advocates on behalf of
        public community college employees.
            (J) One member representing a national association
        representing higher education book stores in this
        State.
            (K) One member representing a higher education
        digital content platform provider with offices located
        within this State.
    (b) Appointments to the Task Force shall be made within 90
days after the effective date of this Act.
    (c) The Task Force shall meet initially at the call of the
Illinois Student Assistance Commission, shall elect a
chairperson from among the appointed members at the Task
Force's initial meeting, and shall thereafter meet at the call
of the chairperson.
    (d) The chairperson and other members of the Task Force
shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for
their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds
appropriated to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for
that purpose, including travel, subject to the rules of the
appropriate travel control board.
 
    Section 10. Illinois Student Assistance Commission
assistance.
    (a) The Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall
provide administrative support, staff support, and other
resources necessary for the College Course Materials
Affordability and Equitable Access Task Force to fulfill the
Task Force's obligations under this Act.
    (b) The Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall
designate a staff member to serve as a point of contact between
the Task Force and the public and to serve as a technology and
policy advisor to assist the Task Force. The Commission shall
provide a public website or web page for the Task Force to
publish digital meeting notices, minutes, commentary, draft
reports, reports, and other relevant documents and information
online.
 
    Section 15. Meetings.
    (a) Meetings of the College Course Materials Affordability
and Equitable Access Task Force are subject to the Open
Meetings Act. The Task Force shall make available to the
public online meeting notices at least 10 days in advance of
any Task Force meeting and shall publish meeting minutes that
are available to the public within 14 days after the meeting to
allow for structured written and verbal commentary by the
public throughout the process.
    (b) The Task Force shall establish and maintain a contact
list of all members of the public who seek to be apprised of
the work of the Task Force to allow for electronic
notification, by email or by any other mutually agreed-upon
method, of Task Force meetings, agendas, minutes, draft
reports, reports, and other communications regarding the work
of the Task Force.
    (c) The Task Force may conduct its work remotely via
telephone and online video broadcasting, including through
audio and video conferencing applications. The Task Force
shall allow for public observation and structured
participation via telephone and online video broadcasting for
all meetings conducted by the Task Force.
 
    Section 20. Duties.
    (a) The duties of the College Course Materials
Affordability and Equitable Access Task Force are to:
        (1) conduct a collaborative college course materials
    affordability and equitable access study;
        (2) examine the cost-saving methods and practices
    utilized by public and private institutions of higher
    learning in this State and throughout the United States
    for improving students' equitable first-day-of-class
    access to required course materials and conduct an
    affordability comparison of providing students' course
    materials, including digital learning tools; and
        (3) submit a report of its findings to the Governor,
    the General Assembly, and the Illinois Student Assistance
    Commission.
    (b) The report required to be submitted under subsection
(a) shall include all of the following items:
        (1) A list of cost-saving methods available to
    students, including, but not limited to:
            (A) inclusive access programs;
            (B) textbook subscription programs;
            (C) textbook rental programs;
            (D) used textbooks; and
            (E) other institutional textbook cost-saving
            methods, such as open educational resources.
        (2) The total amount of cost savings achieved by
    public and private institutions of higher learning and the
    total number of students that utilize each cost-saving
    method.
        (3) The equitable access achieved for students by
    providing all students with access to course materials on
    the first day of class.
        (4) The potential impact on academic freedom of
    faculty to be able to choose the most appropriate
    materials for their courses for each of the various
    methods of providing course materials.
        (5) A description of the process required to implement
    each cost-saving method listed in paragraph (1) of this
    subsection (b).
        (6) A description of the process by which students
    obtain required course materials.
        (7) The current, future, and potential costs of the
    development and maintenance necessary for the utilization
    of any course material that is provided to students at no
    charge.
        (8) The identification of best practices resulting
    from the cost-saving methods listed in paragraph (1) of
    this subsection (b).
        (9) An examination of the following areas in relation
    to improving equity in higher education to determine
    whether the methods:
            (A) improved equitable access to required course
        materials by the first day of class;
            (B) increased the affordability of required course
        materials; and
            (C) improved access to learning materials and
        improved student outcomes for minority, low-income,
        and first-generation students.
        (10) A description of the ways students and faculty
    are utilizing or have utilized inclusive access programs,
    subscription programs, textbook rental programs, used
    textbooks, and open educational resources for the purposes
    of remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
    health crisis.
 
    Section 25. Collaboration. As part of the College Course
Materials Affordability and Equitable Access Task Force's
information gathering process to prepare its report under
Section 20, the Task Force shall engage and consult with
higher education administrators, faculty, campus bookstores,
publishers, librarians, and other online education specialists
for their perspectives on the topics covered by this Act. The
Task Force may also seek advice and input from such other
persons and entities as the Task Force finds helpful to its
work as outlined in this Act.
 
    Section 30. Reporting; dissolution.
    (a) No later than October 1, 2022, the Task Force shall
submit an initial collaborative report of its findings to the
Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Student
Assistance Commission. The Illinois Student Assistance
Commission shall publish the initial collaborative report of
the Task Force's findings on the Commission's website. Members
of the public and other interested parties shall have until
February 1, 2023 to submit written comments with regard to the
initial collaborative report. The Commission shall publish
comments submitted by members of the public or other
interested parties on its website.
    (b) No later than March 31, 2023, the Task Force shall
submit a final collaborative report of its findings to the
Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Student
Assistance Commission. The Illinois Student Assistance
Commission shall publish the final collaborative report of the
Task Force's findings on the Commission's website.
    (c) The Task Force is dissolved on March 31, 2024.
 
    Section 90. Repeal. This Act is repealed on March 31,
2025.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.