Relates to enacting the "free resources for equitable education (FREE) act"; requires State University of New York higher education institutions to designate all general education and 25 percent of all major specific courses as low textbook cost (LTC) or zero textbook cost (ZTC).
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6208
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 6, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "free
resources for equitable education (FREE) act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "free resources for equitable education (FREE) act".
3 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 716 to read
4 as follows:
5 § 716. Free resources for equitable education (FREE) act. 1. As used
6 in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings,
7 unless referenced otherwise:
8 (a) "general education" refers to courses which do not expressly
9 satisfy major specific requirements, including pre-requisite courses;
10 (b) "institutions of higher education" means the state university of
11 New York or institutions recognized and approved by the regents of the
12 University of the State of New York, which provide a course of study
13 leading to the granting of a post-secondary degree or diploma;
14 (c) "low textbook cost (LTC)" means the designation assigned to cours-
15 es to demonstrate that required textbooks do not cost more than forty
16 dollars;
17 (d) "major specific" refers to any course that is considered expressly
18 necessary to the continued development and teachings of key concepts
19 within a given major;
20 (e) "textbook" means any textbook that is adopted for use in a given
21 course, as determined by the presiding faculty or faculty members or
22 entity charged with selecting such textbooks; and
23 (f) "zero textbook cost (ZTC)" means the designation assigned to
24 courses to demonstrate that it does not require the purchase of any
25 textbook.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10641-01-5
S. 6208 2
1 2. All general education courses offered by an institution of higher
2 education in which textbooks are assigned by a professor or other facul-
3 ty member shall have a ZTC or LTC designation.
4 3. Twenty-five percent of all major specific courses offered by an
5 institution of higher education in which textbooks are assigned by a
6 professor or other faculty member shall have a ZTC or LTC designation.
7 4. Institutions of higher education shall determine which courses and
8 the corresponding textbooks are designated ZTC or LTC.
9 5. ZTC and LTC designations shall be clearly visible and easily acces-
10 sible by students in any course information materials or course enroll-
11 ment system. If a course designation changes for any reason, students
12 shall be allowed to secure an appropriate replacement course or discon-
13 tinue any course without any financial or other institutional penalty.
14 6. Institutions of higher education shall institute this section in a
15 manner that does not redistribute the financial cost of such textbook
16 designations on students including but not limited to assigning more
17 textbooks in other courses or increasing tuition or students' fees.
18 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
19 it shall have become a law; provided, however, the amendments to article
20 15-B of the education law made by section two of this act shall not
21 affect the repeal of such article and shall be deemed repealed there-
22 with.
