New York S 6208: Relates to enacting the free resources for equitable education (FREE) act

Bill Text

Bill Search and Legislative Information | New York State Assembly 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

 Skip to main content 

 New York State Assembly

 Speaker Carl E. Heastie

 --> 
 --> 

 --> 

• 
 Assembly Members 

• 
 Legislative Info 

• 
 Public Hearings 

• 
 Speaker's Press 

• 
 Assembly Reports 

• 
 Committees & More 

• Bill Search Home
• Laws
• Legislative Calendar
• Public Hearing Schedule
• Assembly Calendars
• Assembly Committee Agenda 

 Javascript must be enabled to properly view this page. 

 Bill No.: 

• Summary 
• Actions 
• Committee&nbspVotes 
• Floor&nbspVotes 
• Memo 
• Text 
• LFIN 
• Chamber&nbspVideo/Transcript 
S06208 Summary:

BILL NOS06208 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

&nbsp

SPONSORPARKER

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Add §716, Ed L

&nbsp

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).

Go to top S06208 Actions:

BILL NOS06208 

&nbsp

03/06/2025REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Go to topS06208 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS06208 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS06208 Text:

 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 t