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Armstrong's college book bill gains House approval
Measure
requires four-week notice of course material requirements
A bill that would require
college- and university-affiliated bookstores to provide a four-week
advance notification of course material requirements was approved by
lawmakers in the House of Representatives Friday night, 85-9.
Prime-sponsor of
House Bill 3047,
Rep. Mike
Armstrong, noted that the cost of buying
books is very expensive, especially for families with multiple children
in school. He said the measure would allow students time to shop for
books online where prices may be more reasonable.
"I introduced this measure
on behalf of East Wenatchee resident Joel Voth who is helping his son
attend Washington State University. It's not uncommon to pay several
hundred dollars for textbooks each quarter," said Armstrong,
R-Wenatchee. "I know first-hand. I have two kids attending college and
their books are very expensive.
"This bill asks the school
bookstores to list required textbooks four weeks prior to the start of
school so that students have a chance to purchase these books online,
and maybe even get a price break by buying used books," added Armstrong.
"This would be a huge savings for both students, and parents who are
helping their kids attend college."
Course material
information that would be provided in advance includes title, author(s),
edition, price, and International Standard Book Number. The disclosure
requirements could be waived on a case-by-case basis by the chief
academic officers of the schools, provided that students could reliably
expect that nearly all information is available four weeks in advance.
The measure now goes to
the Senate for further consideration.
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For more information, contact:
John
Sattgast, Public Information Officer: (360) 786-7257
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