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119-s-740119th CongressWALLET

Affordable College Textbook Act

Sponsored By: Senator Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

Introduced

Summary

Creates a federal grant program to expand the use of open textbooks at colleges and universities and would require clearer course-materials price and format disclosures to help students save money and improve access.

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  • Students: Grants and disclosure rules aim to lower textbook costs and increase access by expanding free or low-cost open textbooks and making full digital content freely available online.
  • Colleges and faculty: Eligible institutions, consortia, or states could get funds to create or adapt open textbooks, provide faculty training, and must report on adoption, quality, and instructional impact. New or adapted works must be released under a royalty-free open license and posted in editable formats.
  • Transparency and markets: Institutions must disclose ISBNs, retail prices, OER status, and digital-material summaries, and the Government Accountability Office must report within three years on textbook costs and the effects of open textbooks.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Federal grants for open textbooks

If enacted, this bill would create a competitive Open Textbook Grant Program at the Department of Education. The Secretary would make grants to colleges, consortia, or State consortia to create, adapt, or expand open textbooks and accessible supplemental materials. Grants could pay for faculty training, creating or updating textbooks, accessible resources, and research on costs and learning. New or substantially adapted works paid for by grants would have to be posted online for free in editable, machine-readable formats and released under a license that only requires attribution. Grantees would report project costs and adoption, and the Department would report to Congress within two years and then each year after.

Colleges must list textbook prices

If enacted, the bill would require institutions that get federal aid to list ISBNs (or author/title/publisher/copyright date), retail prices, and any fees for required and recommended course materials on course listings. Schools would also have to say whether a material is an open educational resource. For digital materials, colleges must link to the publisher's summary of terms about data collection and whether students can opt out. Institutions must help campus bookstores get schedule and enrollment data so bookstores can verify availability and offer lower-cost options.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

IL • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]

    ME • I

    Sponsored 2/26/2025

  • Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 2/26/2025

  • Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 2/26/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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