Electronic Books Opening Opportunity for Knowledge Act of 2019 or the E-BOOK Act of 2019
This bill authorizes the Department of Education to award grants to up to 10 institutions of higher education for pilot programs that reduce the cost of attendance for undergraduate students by expanding student access to digital course materials.
A preference is given to applications that demonstrate a commitment to serving disadvantaged students.
Grant recipients must make digital course materials available to undergraduate students in at least two different academic departments.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4414 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4414
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to lower the cost of college
education by establishing pilot programs to expand student access to
digital course materials.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 19, 2019
Ms. DelBene (for herself, Mr. Harder of California, and Mrs. Brooks of
Indiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to lower the cost of college
education by establishing pilot programs to expand student access to
digital course materials.
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 ``Electronic Books Opening Opportunity
for Knowledge Act of 2019'' or the ``E-BOOK Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to identify savings in the cost of
higher education for undergraduate students by funding pilot programs
to expand student access to digital academic course materials.
SEC. 3. GRANTS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO DIGITAL COURSE MATERIALS.
Title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161a et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new part:
``PART BB--GRANTS FOR THE EXPANSION OF ACCESS TO DIGITAL COURSE
MATERIALS
``SEC. 899. GRANTS FOR ACCESS TO DIGITAL COURSE MATERIALS.
``(a) Grants Authorized.--
``(1) In general.--From amounts made available by the
Secretary that are not otherwise obligated, the Secretary may
award grants on a competitive basis to not more than 10
institutions of higher education to reduce the cost of
attendance for undergraduate students by providing such
students with expanded access to digital course materials.
``(2) Amount of funds to be awarded.--The Secretary shall
determine the amount of funds to be awarded for each grant
based on the number of students to be served under the grant,
except that no grant under this section shall be in an amount
that is more than $2,000,000.
``(b) Application.--An institution desiring to obtain a grant under
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time,
in such form, and accompanied by such information, agreements, and
assurances as the Secretary may reasonably require.
``(c) Preference.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give preference to applications that demonstrate a
commitment to serving disadvantaged students.
``(d) Use of Funds.--Each grant awarded under this section shall
provide to an institution of higher education funds to support a pilot
program for the institution to make digital course materials available
to undergraduate students in at least two different academic
departments. Such funds may be used for any of the following:
``(1) Purchasing and maintaining electronic equipment or
software necessary for the operation of the pilot program,
including mobile computer devices and accompanying hardware,
software applications, computer systems and platforms, and
other digital and online services and support.
``(2) Maintaining digital and online content for the
institution to make available electronically to instructors or
students.
``(3) Hiring staff for the administration of the pilot
program, with priority given to hiring enrolled undergraduate
students.
``(4) Building or acquiring extra storage space dedicated
to equipment used for the pilot program.
``(5) Supporting professional development activities for
instructors, instructional aides, or other personnel as needed
to support implementation of the pilot program.
``(6) Revising and adapting academic curricula as needed to
implement the pilot program.
``(7) Acquiring such other goods or services as the
Secretary determines appropriate.
``(e) Reporting Requirements.--
``(1) Report to the secretary.--After a period of time to
be determined by the Secretary, each institution of higher
education that receives a grant under this section shall submit
to the Secretary a report that includes--
``(A) an assessment of the effectiveness of the
pilot program funded by the grant in reducing the cost
of attendance for students;
``(B) an assessment of any impact of the pilot
program on student achievement;
``(C) an accounting of the purposes for which the
grant funds were expended; and
``(D) any additional information the Secretary
reasonably requires.
``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than three years after
the end of the first fiscal year in which a grant is awarded
under this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report on the effectiveness of the grants. Such report shall
include--
``(A) an estimate by the Secretary of the amount of
money saved by students who participate in the pilot
programs;
``(B) a summary of the best practices developed in
the pilot programs;
``(C) a description of the types of digital course
materials used in the pilot programs, including
electronic books, interactive and adaptive digital
learning tools, and open educational resources; and
``(D) any recommendations the Secretary determines
appropriate regarding future congressional action
related to student access to digital course materials.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Cost of attendance.--The term `cost of attendance'
has the meaning given the term in section 472.
``(2) Institution of higher education.--The term
`institution of higher education' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a), except that such term only includes
public institutions.
``(3) Digital course materials.--The term `digital course
materials' includes electronic books, portable document format
and word-processing documents, internet websites, interactive
and adaptive digital learning tools, open educational
resources, and other digital and online educational resources.
``(4) Open educational resources.--The term `open
educational resources' means digital course materials that are
made freely available online to the public with a permanent
copyright license granting advance permission for the public to
access, distribute, adapt, and otherwise use the work with
appropriate attribution to the authors as set forth in the
materials.
``(5) Mobile computer device.--The term `mobile computer
device' means an electronic reader or tablet computer.
``(6) Disadvantaged student.--The term `disadvantaged
student' means an undergraduate student who is--
``(A) from a low-income family;
``(B) a minority; or
``(C) from an economically or otherwise
disadvantaged background.
``(g) Sunset.--No grants may be awarded under this section after
September 30, 2021.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
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