1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Affordable College Textbook Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The high cost of college textbooks continues to be a barrier for many students in achieving higher education. (2) According to the College Board, during the 2016–2017 academic year, the average student budget for college books and supplies at 4-year public institutions of higher education was $1,250. (3) The Government Accountability Office found that new textbook prices increased 82 percent between 2002 and 2012 and that although Federal efforts to increase price transparency have provided students and families with more and better information, more must be done to address rising costs. (4) The growth of the internet has enabled the creation and sharing of digital content, including open educational resources that can be freely used by students, teachers, and members of the public. (5) According to the Student PIRGs, expanded use of open educational resources has the potential to save students more than a billion dollars annually. (6) Federal investment in expanding the use of open educational resources could significantly lower college textbook costs and reduce financial barriers to higher education, while making efficient use of taxpayer funds. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Educational resource The term educational resource means an educational material that can be used in postsecondary instruction, including textbooks and other written or audiovisual works. (2) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 ). (3) Open educational resource The term open educational resource means an educational resource that either resides in the public domain or has been released under an intellectual property license that permits its free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others. (4) Open textbook The term open textbook means an open educational resource or set of