Honorable Kel Seliger, Chair, Senate Committee on Higher Education
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB915 by Kolkhorst (Relating to the textbook affordability pilot program and to certain studies and reports by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board regarding achievable cost-saving measures and the use and availability of electronic, public domain, and open source textbooks at institutions of higher education), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board (Board) to establish and administer a pilot project at Texas A&M University to provide students with access to textbook pricing information and to encourage the adoption of more affordable textbook options. The Board shall designate a department of the institution to administer the program. Under provisions of the bill, the Board would be required to conduct a study on the use of open source, public domain, and electronic textbooks. The department designated to administer the pilot program would assist the Board on the study. This analysis assumes that any costs for Texas A&M University and the Higher Education Coordinating Board to implement the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within current resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board