On the recordOctober 8, 2015
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 2176 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Affordable College Textbook Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) The high cost of college textbooks continues to be a barrier for many students in achieving higher education. (2) According to the College Board, during the 2014-2015 academic year, the average student budget for college books and supplies at 4-year public institutions of higher education was $1,225. (3) The Government Accountability Office found that new textbook prices increased 82 percent between 2002 and 2012 and that although Federal efforts to increase price transparency have provided students and families with more and better information, more must be done to address rising costs. (4) The growth of the Internet has enabled the creation and sharing of digital content, including open educational resources that can be freely used by students, teachers, and members of the public. (5) Using open educational resources in place of traditional materials in large-enrollment college courses can reduce textbook costs by 80 to 100 percent.…
