BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 216
AUTHOR: Liu
AMENDED: March 26, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: April 22, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: James Wilson
SUBJECT : Postsecondary Education Textbooks
SUMMARY
This bill requires the CSU Trustees and the Community
College Board of Governors, and requests the UC Regents, to
post a list of required textbooks for each course and for
the coming term on their Internet Web sites not less than
30 days prior to the first day of class, including the
price charged by the campus bookstore for each required
textbook.
BACKGROUND
Current law urges textbook publishers to contain the cost
of postsecondary instructional materials by doing a number
of things including giving students the
option of buying books without additional "bundled"
materials and providing specified information to faculty
on the books and other materials that they sell, including
both bundled and unbundled options, and the net price of
each product.
Current law also requires the CSU Trustees and the
Community College Board of Governors, and requests that the
UC Regents, work with their academic senates to encourage
faculty to consider cost when assigning textbooks, disclose
cost and related information to students, and work with
publishers to deliver cost savings to students. Current
law also requires college bookstores to work with the
academic senates to review timelines and processes involved
in ordering and stocking selected textbooks and deliver
cost savings to students.
ANALYSIS
SB 216
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This bill requires the Trustees of the California State
University (CSU Trustees) and the Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges, and requests the Regents of
the University of California (UC), to work with the
academic senates of their segments to:
1) Ensure that textbook adoptions are made with
sufficient lead time to allow bookstores to confirm
availability of the requested materials and, ensure
maximum availability of used books.
2) Require that the course instructor, or the academic
department, offering a course confirm the intent to
use each individual item sold as part of the bundled
package of instructional material before the adoption
of the material is finalized.
3) Post a list of each textbook required for each course
offered at the institution during the upcoming term on
their web site not less than 30 days prior to the
first day of the term, provided that the list
includes:
a) Identifying information, including, the
title, all authors listed, publishers, edition
number, copyright date, publication date, and
other relevant information.
b) The price charged to students by the campus
bookstore of the institution for each required
textbook.
STAFF COMMENTS
State Mandated Costs . The Legislative Counsel notes that
this measure imposes new duties on community college
districts and thereby creates a state-mandated local
program, requiring the state to reimburse the colleges for
those costs. As state agencies, the CSU and UC are not
allowed to seek reimbursement of their mandated costs.
SUPPORT
California Postsecondary Education Commission
SB 216
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OPPOSITION
None received.