Spotlight on Library Legislation - What is the Affordable College Textbook Act?
The Affordable College Textbook Act was introduced on November 14, 2013 by United States Senators Dick Durbin and Al Franken, Democrats of Illinois and Minnesota.
The bill numbers are S. 1704 and H.R. 3538.
The bill aims to reduce the cost of textbooks at colleges and universities in the United States by expanding the use of open textbooks that everyone can use, adapt, and share freely.
To do so, the bill would institute a grant program to fund the creation of new textbooks with the stipulation that the grant-funded textbooks be made available for free online.
With this grant incentive, the bill’s co-sponsors hope to tackle the rising cost of textbooks.
For more information, download a Fact Sheet compiled by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition.
