Committee hears bill to study electronic textbook billing and student impacts

Representative Mindy Dom presented H559, which would establish a special commission to examine the benefits, disadvantages and consumer impacts of electronic textbooks and automatic textbook billing (ATB). Dom said ATB programs—where institutions enter into contracts with publishers and include course-material charges on student bills unless students opt out—can limit consumer choice, reduce incentives to adopt open educational resources, and leave students with single-use access codes that expire at semester end.