BILL REQ. #:  S-0962.1 

Read first time 02/02/09.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development.

     AN ACT Relating to disclosure of course material information for higher education courses; and amending RCW 28B.10.590.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 28B.10.590 and 2007 c 457 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The boards of regents of the state universities, the boards of trustees of the regional universities and The Evergreen State College, and the boards of trustees of each community and technical college district, in collaboration with affiliated bookstores and student and faculty representatives, shall adopt rules requiring that:
     (a) Affiliated bookstores:
     (i) Provide students the option of purchasing materials that are unbundled when possible, disclose to faculty and staff the costs to students of purchasing materials, and disclose publicly how new editions vary from previous editions;
     (ii) Actively promote and publicize book buy-back programs; ((and))
     (iii) Disclose retail costs for course materials on a per course basis to faculty and staff and make this information publicly available; and
     (iv) Disclose information to students on required course materials including but not limited to title, authors, edition, price, and International Standard Book Number (ISBN) at least two weeks before the start of the class for which the materials are required. The chief academic officer may waive the disclosure requirement provided in this subsection (1)(a)(iv), on a case-by-case basis, if students can reliably expect that nearly all information regarding course materials is available four weeks before the start of the class for which the materials are required; and
     (b) Faculty and staff members consider the least costly practices in assigning course materials, such as adopting the least expensive edition available when educational content is comparable as determined by the faculty and working closely with publishers and local bookstores to create bundles and packages if they deliver cost savings to students.
     (2) As used in this section:
     (a) "Materials" means any supplies or texts required or recommended by faculty or staff for a given course.
     (b) "Bundled" means a group of objects joined together by packaging or required to be purchased as an indivisible unit.