BILL NUMBER: SB 48	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 23, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Alquist

                        JANUARY 12, 2009

    An act relating to college textbooks.   An
act to add Section 66410 to the Education Code, relating to college
textbooks. 



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 48, as amended, Alquist. College textbooks: 
affordability and online textbooks.   electronic
versions. 
   Existing law establishes the various segments of the public higher
education system in the state. These segments include 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. 
   Existing law urges textbook publishers to take specified actions
aimed at reducing the amounts that students pay for textbooks.
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, among other
things, to work with the academic senates of each respective segment
to encourage faculty to give consideration to the least costly
practices in assigning textbooks, to encourage faculty to disclose to
students how new editions of textbooks are different from previous
editions and the cost to students for textbooks selected, to review
procedures for faculty to inform college and university bookstores of
textbook selections, and to encourage faculty to work closely with
publishers and college and university bookstores in creating bundles
and packages that are economically sound and deliver cost savings to
students.  
   Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature to encourage
private colleges and universities to work with their respective
academic senates, and to encourage faculty to consider practices in
selecting textbooks that will result in the lowest costs to students.
 
   Existing law requires textbook publishers, for textbooks published
on or after January 1, 2010, to print a summary of the substantive
content differences between the new edition and any prior addition
on, or within, the cover of the textbook, as well as the copyright
date of the previous edition.  
   Existing law prohibits those responsible for choosing course
materials and adopting textbooks at an institution of higher
education from demanding or receiving anything of value for adopting
specific course materials required for coursework instruction.
 
   This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation relating to the affordability of college textbooks and
the promotion and use of online textbooks.  
   Existing law requires publishers of instructional material for use
at public institutions of postsecondary education to make
instructional material available in electronic form in a format that
is compatible with commonly used braille translation and speech
synthesis software upon the written request of a campus of a
university or college when required for the use of students who are
disabled.  
   This bill would require that publishers of textbooks offered for
sale at a public postsecondary institution of education make the
textbooks available in an electronic format by January 1, 2020. The
bill would require that electronic versions of textbooks include the
same content as the printed versions and would allow the electronic
versions to be copy-protected. The bill would prohibit charging a
higher amount for an electronic version than is charged for the
printed version. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 66410 is added to the 
 Education Code   , to read:  
   66410.  (a) No later than January 1, 2020, any individual, firm,
partnership, or corporation that publishes textbooks offered for sale
at the University of California, the California State University, or
the California Community Colleges, shall make the textbooks
available for sale in an electronic format. The price at which the
electronic version of the textbook is made available shall not be
greater than the price charged for the printed version. The
electronic version of any textbook shall contain the same content as
the printed version and may be copy-protected.
   (b) For purposes of this section, "textbook" means a book, not
including a novel, that contains printed material and is intended for
use as a source of study material for a class or group of students,
a copy of which is expected to be available for the use of each of
the students in that class or group.
   (c) This section does not authorize any use of instructional
materials that would constitute an infringement of copyright under
the Copyright Revision Act of 1976, as amended (17 U.S.C. Sec. 101 et
seq.).  
  SECTION 1.    It is the intent of the Legislature
to enact legislation relating to the affordability of college
textbooks and the promotion and use of online textbooks.