Amend CSSB 1 (house committee printing) in Article III of the bill, following the appropriations to the Texas Education Agency, by adding the following appropriately numbered rider to read as follows:

____. Report on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Electronic Instructional Materials. (a) Out of funds appropriated above, the commissioner of education shall study and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of electronic instructional materials. The study must:

(1)  consider the impact of demographics, geography, home internet access, and campus technical capabilities on the effectiveness and value of electronic instructional materials;

(2)  determine which electronic instructional materials align better with different scenarios common to Texas school districts; and

(3)  examine:

(A)  licensing, including the timing of purchase, charging for unused accounts, bundling, and availability of login access during the term of a state contract for electronic instructional materials;

(B)  improving quality control reports, including a more detailed analysis of when, where, and for how much time students and teachers access various electronic instructional materials; and

(C)  current terms of use offered by publishing entities and whether the terms require that a refund or credit be established if a license is not used.

(b)  In conducting the study, the commissioner of education shall consult with representatives from:

(1)  the State Board of Education;

(2)  school technology personnel;

(3)  a large publishing firm;

(4)  a publishing firm operating less than five years;

(5)  school instructional materials coordinators; and

(6)  school curriculum departments.

(c)  The report prepared by the commissioner of education must provide metric and qualitative indicators of the educational value of electronic instructional materials that assist policymakers and school districts in having the tools and training to distinguish between vendors and the effectiveness of products.

(d)  The commissioner of education shall submit the report required by this section not later than October 1, 2018, and post the report on the Texas Education Agency's internet website. The commissioner shall send notice of the posting electronically and provide the final report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the Legislative Budget Board, and the presiding officer of each standing committee of the legislature with jurisdiction over public education.