HLS 23RS-1302 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 644 (Substitute for House Bill No. 381 by Representative LaFleur)
BY REPRESENTATIVE LAFLEUR
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
TEXTBOOKS/MATERIALS: Creates Affordable Digital Textbook and Learning Materials
Pilot Programs
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 17:3129.8 and to repeal R.S. 17:3129.8, relative to open educational resources
3 for public postsecondary education students; to provide for pilot programs; to require
4 the Board of Regents and the management boards to collaborate relative to the
5 programs; to require the Board of Regents to report to the legislature; to provide for
6 effectiveness; to provide for related matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 17:3129.8 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 ยง3129.8. Affordable Digital Textbook and Learning Materials Pilot Programs
10 A. The Board of Regents, referred to in this Section as the "board", in
11 collaboration with the public postsecondary education management boards, shall
12 develop and implement pilot programs to provide open and no-cost digital textbooks,
13 study tools, online homework, and open educational resources that can be used to
14 improve student outcomes. The pilot programs for which funds will be awarded
15 shall be selected by the board in accordance with the criteria set forth in this Section.
16 B. The board shall:
17 (1) Issue a request for applications from public postsecondary education
18 management boards for proposals for pilot programs.
19 (2) Prioritize pilot programs that provide the most benefit to socially and
20 economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented students. This may
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1 be determined by identifying courses with a high percentage of enrollment of groups
2 of such students and the potential for large-scale adoption of open educational
3 resources in the courses.
4 (3) Award funds for pilot programs to replace existing commercial textbooks
5 available to students only through purchase with open educational resources as
6 defined in R.S. 17:3129.9. The open educational resources used in pilot programs
7 shall be made available to students at no cost with unlimited access not later than the
8 first day of classes of the first semester in which the program is being implemented.
9 Priority shall be placed on using open educational resources that carry an open
10 license that allow faculty to customize course materials to improve student learning
11 outcomes.
12 (4) Enter into contracts with management boards administering pilot
13 programs. At a minimum, the contracts shall require the following:
14 (a) Revised and newly created course materials including ancillary materials
15 and related learning materials.
16 (b) Instructional materials be made available in the statewide digital platform
17 of open educational resources maintained by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library
18 Network in order to ensure materials are discoverable and widely available.
19 Materials shall be made available under a license consistent with the availability of
20 open educational resource materials.
21 C. (1) In submitting proposals pursuant to Subsection B of this Section,
22 management boards interested in participating shall:
23 (a) Demonstrate the anticipated number of students who would benefit from
24 the program; the courses in which the awarded funds will be used, the textbooks
25 currently being used in the courses, and the proposed use of open educational
26 resources in the courses; and the estimated average amount of savings per student.
27 (b) Either propose customizing course instruction to currently available open
28 educational resources or developing new course instruction using open educational
29 resources.
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1 (c) Identify the faculty who would customize course instruction to existing
2 open educational resources or develop new course instruction using open educational
3 resources.
4 (2) In awarding funding, the board shall give priority to proposals that
5 include the following:
6 (a) Targeted learning modules to provide additional student supports to
7 combat ongoing learning loss.
8 (b) Resources to help students develop necessary employability skills
9 including but not limited to digital skills, financial literacy, time management,
10 communication, and goal setting.
11 Section 2. R.S. 17:3129.8 is hereby repealed in its entirety.
12 Section 3. (A) Section 1 of this Act shall be implemented beginning with the 2024
13fall semester.
14 (B) This Section and Sections 1 and 4 of this Act shall be effective on August 1,
152023.
16 (C) Section 2 of this Act shall be effective on September 2, 2026.
17 Section 4. Not later than September 1, 2026, the Board of Regents shall provide a
18written report to the governor, the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House of
19Representatives, and the chairman of the legislative committees on education and commerce
20on the program.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 644 Original 2023 Regular Session LaFleur
Abstract: Creates pilot programs to be administered by the Bd. of Regents and certain
public postsecondary education management boards to provide more affordable
textbooks and instructional materials to students.
Bd. of Regents
Proposed law requires the Bd. of Regents, in collaboration with the public postsecondary
education management boards, to create and implement Affordable Digital Textbook and
Learning Materials Pilot Programs.
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HB NO. 644
Proposed law requires the Bd. of Regents to do the following:
(1)Issue a request for applications from all public postsecondary education management
boards for proposals for pilot programs.
(2)Prioritize proposed pilot programs that provide the most benefit to socially and
economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented student populations.
(3)Award participating boards funds to replace existing commercial textbooks with
open educational resources.
(4)Enter into contracts with management boards administering pilot programs.
Public postsecondary education management boards
Proposed law requires interested public postsecondary education management boards to
submit proposals that:
(1)Demonstrate the anticipated number of students who would benefit from a pilot
program, the courses for which funds would be used, the textbooks currently
being used in the courses and what open educational resources would be used in
the courses through a pilot program, and the estimated average amount of savings
per student.
(2)Propose either customizing course instruction to current open educational
resources or creating new courses.
(3)Identify the faculty who would do such customization of instruction or creation of
new courses.
(Adds R.S. 17:3129.8; Repeals R.S. 17:3129.8)
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