Bill aims to lower textbook costs 30 percent

Fate of AB 2477 rests on appropriations committee decision May 5

By Elizabeth Leffall

Under the leadership of State Assemblywoman Carol Liu, members of the Committee on Higher Education committed to lowering textbook costs in California March 31.

Through passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 2477, which encourages the ‘unbundling’ of instruction materials to give students options of buying only the materials needed, the committee proposes to cut overall textbook costs for college students by 30 to 40 percent.

The bill will be placed before the Assembly Appropriations committee on Wednesday, May 5.

Liu, who represents California’s 44th Assembly District, serves as chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee and is a co-author of AB 2477.

AB 2477 cites a survey by the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), which found students will spend an average of $898 on textbooks in the 2003 school year.

The study also found that new editions of textbooks are often bundled and can cost up to twice as much as unbundled books.

The bill faces its ultimate test when it is placed before the Assembly Appropriations committee.

“ The bill has to pass this time,” said Lynn Lorber, consultant to the Assembly Higher Education Committee. “This bill was introduced last year and we are now in the second year of our legislation session. If it doesn’t pass we’ll have to start all over again.”

Lorber said the Appropriations committee will focus on the bill’s fiscal cost to the current budget.

“ If the bill costs Californians less than $150,000 annually then it will fit the current budget and be voted on. If not, it will be placed on hold until the budget is ‘flushed out,’” she said.

Along with ‘unbundling’ textbooks, CD-ROMs and workbooks, the bill will force publishers to disclose the difference between older and newer editions of all materials sold and give preference to paper or online supplements to current editions over producing entirely new editions.

Since the birth of the bill, the education committee has already seen progress. “We’ve already had two textbook publishers, Pearson Education and Thomson lower some of their textbook costs as a result of this bill and it hasn’t even passed yet,” Lorber said.

But the work won’t stop once the bill is passed.

“ If this bill passes it will go into effect January 1, 2005, it will then be up to publishers, bookstores and teachers to make the rest happen,” Lorber said.

Ron Durham, director of Fresno State’s Kennel Bookstore doesn’t think enforcement will be a problem.

“ I’ve been here for four years ,and I’ve served as director for both CSU and UC campuses,” he said. “This campus is very supportive of trying to keep textbook prices down. We have the lowest mark-up of 23 percent in the CSU system and I would think in the UC system as well.”

Fresno State buybacks begin May 11 and continue through May 21.

Durham said, “The Kennel bookstore contacts professors to see what books they will be using next semester first. After we get our feedback we are able to offer students money back. If professors let us know late, students might only receive $10 back on a $100 book and we’ll still have to buy more books from the publisher if the teacher wants to use it next semester.”

Along with AB 2477, two other textbook bills are currently being heard in the State Assembly, AB 921, a bill seeking to stop escalating costs of textbooks and AB 2678, a bill proposing the implementation of textbook rental services. Both bills were recently approved by the Assembly Higher Education Committee and will be heard by the Appropriations committee next month.