AM850.com

With textbook costs going up at twice the rate of inflation, a House committee has approved a bill lawmakers hope will keep those costs in check. The bill would prohibit faculty members of community colleges or state universities from receiving any form of compensation for requiring their students to purchase certain books. The measure also requires colleges and universities to put book requirements for each course on a Web site 30 days before the first day of class. That could give students time to shop for the texts online or at bookstores besides the one on campus, as a possible way to save money. The House Policy and Budget Council approved the measure today, which now goes to the House floor. A Senate companion measure is scheduled to be heard tomorrow in the Senate Higher Education Committee.