Resolution concerning

The increasing costs of textbooks for students all over Texas

Whereas,   According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) the average cost of textbooks has increased at over twice the rate of inflation over the last two decades and,
Whereas,   According to the GAO the average student at two and four year institutions paid nearly 900 dollars on average for each academic semester, that is 26 percent of the cost of tuition and fees at a four year institution and almost 75 percent at two year institutions and,
Whereas,   The average cost of used textbooks is nearly 75 percent lower than the retail cost of new textbooks, but publishers continue to make new editions in many instances on an annual basis and teachers continue to assign these new textbooks unaware of the cost it puts on students, and
Whereas,   The addition of the new material in these new additions is rarely any sort of significant change that can constitute the making of a new addition or the large increase in price that accompany them.
Therefore it is resolved by the Texas Junior College Student Government Association that each member school seek a commitment from every Texas Legislature, through various forms of contact, to support both House Bill 2965 and House Bill 1434. These Bills provide for a 3 year period that each text book for a core class must be used and for tax exemption from the purchase of textbooks at campus bookstores for a month long period before the start of the fall and spring semesters. These two Bills will significantly help to ease the burden that text book prices are putting on college students all over Texas.
Be it further resolved that the region executive board present each school with a petition to be signed by as many students as possible by January 20th which is then to be turned in by February 28th. The executive board will then mail said petition to each relevant legislature with a formal letter to be written by the executive board. Each member school will also make phone calls to their own legislatures in support of these two bills.

Submitted by Brookhaven College on Monday November 10th to the resolutions committee.

Approved by the committee and general assembly on November 15th.