text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Electronic Books Opening Opportunity 
  for Knowledge Act of 2014'' or the ``E-BOOK Act of 2014''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds the following:
              (1) Rising costs are making it increasingly difficult for 
          students and their families to afford a college education.
              (2) In addition to the growing price of tuition, fees, and 
          room and board, the average college student in the United 
          States must also spend more than $1,000 per year on textbooks 
          and supplies.
              (3) New learning technologies in higher education provide a 
          growing opportunity to reduce the cost of course materials for 
          students and their families.
              (4) All students deserve the opportunity to obtain a high-
          quality education and acquire the skills needed to compete in 
          21st-century economy.
  
  SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
  
      The purpose of this Act is to identify savings in the cost of 
  public college education for undergraduate students by funding pilot 
  programs in institutions of higher education to provide expanded access 
  to digital course materials as part of their academic programs.
  
  SEC. 4. GRANTS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO DIGITAL COURSE MATERIALS.
  
      Title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161a et 
  seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new part:
  
      ``PART BB--GRANTS FOR THE EXPANSION OF ACCESS TO DIGITAL COURSE 
                                 MATERIALS
  
  ``SEC. 891. GRANTS FOR ACCESS TO DIGITAL COURSE MATERIALS.
  
      ``(a) Grants Authorized.--
              ``(1) In general.--From amounts made available by the 
          Secretary pursuant to subsection (g), the Secretary may award 
          grants on a competitive basis to not more than 10 institutions 
          of higher education to reduce the cost of attendance for 
          undergraduate students by providing such students with expanded 
          access to digital course materials.
              ``(2) Amount of funds to be awarded.--The Secretary shall 
          determine the amount of funds to be awarded for each grant 
          based on the number of students to be served under the grant, 
          except that no grant under this section shall be in an amount 
          that is more than $2,000,000.
      ``(b) Application.--An institution desiring to obtain a grant under 
  this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
  in such form, and accompanied by such information, agreements, and 
  assurances as the Secretary may reasonably require.
      ``(c) Preference.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
  Secretary shall give preference to applications that demonstrate a 
  commitment to serving disadvantaged students.
      ``(d) Use of Funds.--Each grant awarded under this section shall 
  provide to an institution of higher education funds to support a pilot 
  program for the institution to make digital course materials available 
  to undergraduate students in at least two different academic 
  departments. Such funds may be used for any of the following:
              ``(1) Purchasing and maintaining electronic equipment or 
          software necessary for the operation of the pilot program, 
          including mobile computer devices and accompanying hardware, 
          software applications, computer systems and platforms, digital 
          and online content, online instruction, and other online 
          services and support.
              ``(2) Purchasing and maintaining digital and online content 
          for the institution to make available electronically to 
          instructors or students, including paying any copyright fees 
          associated with the digital distribution of physical course 
          materials.
              ``(3) Hiring staff for the administration of the pilot 
          program, with priority given to hiring enrolled undergraduate 
          students.
              ``(4) Building or acquiring extra storage space dedicated 
          to equipment used for the pilot program.
              ``(5) Revising and adapting academic curricula as needed to 
          implement the pilot program.
              ``(6) Acquiring such other goods or services as the 
          Secretary determines appropriate.
      ``(e) Reporting Requirements.--
              ``(1) Report to the secretary.--After a period of time to 
          be determined by the Secretary, each institution of higher 
          education that receives a grant under this section shall submit 
          to the Secretary a report that includes--
                      ``(A) an assessment of the effectiveness of the 
                  pilot program funded by the grant in reducing the cost 
                  of attendance for students;
                      ``(B) an assessment of any impact of the pilot 
                  program on student achievement;
                      ``(C) an accounting of the purposes for which the 
                  grant funds were expended; and
                      ``(D) any additional information the Secretary 
                  reasonably requires.
              ``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than three years after 
          the end of the first fiscal year in which a grant is awarded 
          under this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
          report on the effectiveness of the grants. Such report shall 
          include--
                      ``(A) an estimate by the Secretary of the amount of 
                  money saved by students who participate in the pilot 
                  programs;
                      ``(B) a summary of the best practices developed in 
                  the pilot programs;
                      ``(C) a description of the types of digital course 
                  materials used in the pilot programs, including 
                  electronic books, interactive and adaptive digital 
                  learning tools, and open educational resources; and
                      ``(D) any recommendations the Secretary determines 
                  appropriate regarding future congressional action 
                  related to student access to digital course materials.
      ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
              ``(1) Cost of attendance.--The term `cost of attendance' 
          has the meaning given the term in section 472.
              ``(2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
          `institution of higher education' has the meaning given the 
          term in section 101(a), except that such term only includes 
          public institutions.
              ``(3) Digital course materials.--The term `digital course 
          materials' includes electronic books, portable document format 
          and word-processing documents, Internet websites, interactive 
          and adaptive digital learning tools, open educational 
          resources, and other digital and online educational resources.
              ``(4) Open educational resources.--The term `open 
          educational resources' means digital course materials that are 
          made freely available online to the public with a permanent 
          copyright license granting advance permission for the public to 
          access, distribute, adapt, and otherwise use the work with 
          appropriate attribution to the authors as set forth in the 
          materials.
              ``(5) Mobile computer device.--The term `mobile computer 
          device' means an electronic reader or tablet computer.
              ``(6) Disadvantaged student.--The term `disadvantaged 
          student' means an undergraduate student who is--
                      ``(A) from a low-income family;
                      ``(B) a minority; or
                      ``(C) from an economically or otherwise 
                  disadvantaged background.
      ``(g) Funding.--Of the funds made available in appropriation Acts 
  for fiscal years 2015, 2016, and 2017 for the purpose of making 
  competitive grants to institutions of higher education under this Act, 
  the Secretary may make available to carry out this section not more 
  than $20,000,000.
      ``(h) Sunset.--No grants may be awarded under this section after 
  September 30, 2017.''.
target: Electronic Books Opening Opportunity for Knowledge Act of 2014 or the E-BOOK Act of 2014 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to up to 10 institutions of higher education (IHEs) to conduct pilot programs to reduce the cost of attendance for undergraduate students by expanding their access to digital course materials. Directs the Secretary to give a preference to applications that demonstrate a commitment to serving disadvantaged students. Requires grantees to make digital course materials available to undergraduate students in at least two different academic departments. Allows the IHEs to use the grant funds to:  purchase and maintain the electronic equipment or software their pilot programs need; purchase and maintain the digital and online content that instructors or students will use; hire staff to administer their pilot programs, with priority given to hiring enrolled undergraduate students; build or acquire extra storage space for pilot program equipment; and revise and adapt academic curricula as needed to implement their pilot programs. 
feat_title: E-BOOK Act of 2014