THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY MANN, ADOLPH, BOBACK, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, BROWN, CREIGHTON, DAY, DONATUCCI, FABRIZIO, GEIST, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GRUCELA, HARKINS, JOSEPHS, KORTZ, KULA, LENTZ, McGEEHAN, METZGAR, MURT, PARKER, PASHINSKI, PRESTON, SCAVELLO, THOMAS, VULAKOVICH, WHITE AND YOUNGBLOOD, JUNE 1, 2010

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 1, 2010  

AN ACT

Providing for availability of electronic textbooks at

institutions of higher education.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Electronic

Versions of Textbooks Act.

Section 2.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Institution of higher education."  A public or private

institution within this Commonwealth authorized by the

Department of Education to grant an associate degree or higher

degree. The term includes branch or satellite campuses of the

institution.

Section 3.  Electronic versions of textbooks.

No later than January 1, 2013, any entity that publishes

textbooks offered for sale at an institution of higher education

shall, to the extent practicable, make the textbooks available,

in whole or in part, for sale in electronic format. The

electronic version of any textbook shall contain the same

content as the printed version and may be copy-protected.

Section 4. Copyright.

This act does not authorize any use of instructional

materials that would constitute an infringement of copyright

under 17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq. (relating to definitions).

Section 5.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect immediately.