LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
March 11, 2007

TO:
Honorable Geanie Morrison, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB956 by Hochberg (Relating to reducing the cost of college textbooks; providing a penalty.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill relates to reducing the cost of college textbooks and providing a penalty.  Under provisions of the bill, faculty members, individually, will be required to consider less expensive materials and a university-affiliated cannot require the of "bundling" learning materials unless certain criteria are met. Also a college or university trustee, administrator or faculty member commits an offense, Class B misdemeanor, if that person receives any commission or rebate on any textbooks used, or accepts a gift, favor, or service that might tend to influence the selection of a textbook  An additional provision requires the textbook be available for three years, unless significant changes require the acquisition of an updated version. Each institution of higher education would compile a list of required textbooks for each course and post that list on a website available to students. 

The Higher Education Coordinating Board would be required to work with the institutions to facilitate the development of open access publications. Under provisions of the bill, the Texas Building and Procurement Commission would negotiate discount pricing with the publisher and shall enter into a contract to sell textbooks at discounted prices to university-affiliated bookstores. At least two months in advance of the deadline, the commission shall make a list of books subject to discount pricing and shall post this list on the Internet.  The institutions of higher education, Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Building and Procurement Commission would implement provisions of the bill within existing resources.


Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
303 Building and Procurement Commission, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 758 Texas State University System, 769 University of North Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board
LBB Staff:
JOB, MN, RT, GO