Amended in Senate April 12, 2016

Amended in Senate March 28, 2016

Senate Bill No. 1359

Introduced by Senator Block

February 19, 2016

An act to add Section 66406.9 to the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1359, as amended, Block. Public postsecondary education: education materials: textbooks.

The Donahoe Higher Education Act authorizes the activities of the 4 segments of the postsecondary education system in the state. These segments include the 3 public postsecondary segments: the University of California, which is administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, which is administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, which is administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Private and independent postsecondary educational institutions constitute the other segment.

Provisions of the Donahoe Higher Education Act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the regents act, by resolution, to make them applicable.

Existing law urges textbook publishers to take specified actions aimed at reducing the amounts that students pay for textbooks, including providing to faculty and departments considering textbook orders a list of all the different products the publisher sells. Existing law requires the Trustees of the California State University and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and requests the Regents of the University of California, to take specified actions with their respective academic senates, college and university bookstores, and faculty to promote the selection of textbooks that will result in cost savings to students.

This bill would require each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University, and would request each campus of the University of California, to begin delete identify in each published schedule of classes, as defined, the estimated total cost of required textbooks and other required educational materials for each course offered by the campus. end delete begin insert disclose in the campus course schedule the most accurate retail price information and estimated total costs of required and recommended textbooks and supplemental materials, as specified. end insert By imposing new duties on community college districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 66406.9 is added to the Education Code,
to read:

66406.9.  

(a) Each campus of the California Community
Colleges and the California State University shall, and each campus
of the University of California is requested to, begin delete clearly identify in
each published schedule of classes the estimated total costs of
required textbooks and other required educational materials for
each course offered by the campus. end delete begin insert clearly disclose in the campus
course schedule both of the following: end insert

begin insert

(1) The most accurate retail price information of each required
and recommended textbook and supplemental material for each
course listed in the course schedule, consistent with the
requirements of the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of
2008 (Public Law 110-315).

end insert begin insert

(2) The most accurate estimated total costs of required and
recommended textbooks and supplemental materials if purchased
at the campus bookstore for each course offered by the campus.

end insert

(b) For purposes of this section, begin delete “schedule of classes” end delete begin insert “course
schedule” end insert is a collection of available classes, course sections, or
both, published in print or electronically, before the start of an
academic term.

SEC. 2.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.