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Education and the Workforce of the House of Representa-
tives that in order to make a higher education more acces-
sible for all students, the following should occur to make 
college textbooks more affordable for students: 
(1) The Congress encourages textbook pub-
lishers to provide students with the option of buying 
materials such as textbooks, CD–ROMs, access to 
websites, 
and 
workbooks, 
‘‘a 
la 
carte’’ 
or 
‘‘unbundled’’. 
(2) Textbook publishers should work with fac-
ulty to understand the cost to students of pur-
chasing the recommended textbooks. 
(3) College bookstores should work with faculty 
to review timelines and processes for ordering and 
stocking selected textbooks, and disclose textbook 
costs to faculty and students. 
(4) Colleges and universities should be encour-
aged to implement numerous options to address 
textbook affordability. 
SEC. 931. INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF DISTANCE EDU-
CATION PROGRAMS. 
(a) INDEPENDENT EVALUATION.—The Secretary of 
Education shall enter into an agreement with the National 
Academy of Sciences to conduct a scientifically correct and 
statistically valid evaluation of the quality of distance edu-
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cation programs, as compared to campus-based education 
programs, at institutions of higher education. Such eval-
uation shall include— 
(1) identification of the elements by which the 
quality of distance education, as compared to cam-
pus-based education, can be assessed, including ele-
ments such as subject matter, interactivity, and stu-
dent outcomes; 
(2) identification of distance and campus-based 
education program success, with respect to student 
achievement, in relation to the mission of the insti-
tution of higher education; and 
(3) identification of the types of students (in-
cluding classification of types of students based on 
student age) who most benefit from distance edu-
cation programs, the types of students who most 
benefit from campus-based education programs, and 
the types of students who do not benefit from dis-
tance education programs, by assessing elements in-
cluding access to higher education, job placement 
rates, undergraduate graduation rates, and graduate 
and professional degree attainment rates. 
(b) SCOPE.—The National Academy of Sciences shall 
select for participation in the evaluation under subsection 
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(a) a diverse group of institutions of higher education with 
respect to size, mission, and geographic distribution. 
(c) INTERIM AND FINAL REPORTS.—The agreement 
under subsection (a) shall require that the National Acad-
emy of Sciences submit to the Secretary of Education, the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of 
the Senate, and the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce of the House of Representatives— 
(1) an interim report regarding the evaluation 
under subsection (a) not later than December 31, 
2007; and 
(2) a final report regarding such evaluation not 
later than December 31, 2009. 
SEC. 932. STUDY OF CAMPUS-BASED PROGRAM ALLOCA-
TION OF FUNDS. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Comptroller General 
shall conduct a study of the Federal Supplemental Edu-
cational Opportunity Grant program, the Federal Work- 
Study program, and the Federal Perkins Loan program 
(authorized by subpart 3 of part A, and parts C and E, 
respectively, of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965)— 
(1) to examine the procedure for allocating 
funds to institutions; 
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(2) to compare among participating institutions 
the amount of funds allocated and the amount of aid 
awarded to students on a per-student basis under 
these programs; and 
(3) to suggest any modifications to the alloca-
tion procedures to ensure appropriate distribution of 
funds under these programs 
(b) REPORT.—The Comptroller General shall submit 
a report on the study required by subsection (a)within one 
year of the date of enactment of this Act to the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. 
SEC. 933. SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABILITY. 
No later than May 2007, the Secretary of Education 
shall convene a summit of higher education experts work-
ing in the area of sustainable operations and programs, 
representatives from the agencies of the Federal Govern-
ment, and business and industry leaders to focus on ef-
forts of national distinction that— 
(1) encourage faculty, staff, and students at in-
stitutions of higher education to establish both ad-
ministrative and educational sustainability programs 
on campus; 
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(2) enhance research by faculty and students at 
institutions of higher education in sustainability 
practices and innovations that assist and improve 
sustainability; 
(3) encourage institutions of higher education 
to work with community partners from the business, 
government, and nonprofit sectors to design and im-
plement sustainability programs for application in 
the community and workplace; and 
(4) identify opportunities for partnerships in-
volving higher education institutions and the Federal 
Government to expand sustainable operations and 
academic programs focused on environmental and 
economic sustainability. 
SEC. 934. STUDY OF RESIDENCY APPLICATIONS. 
(a) GAO STUDY REQUIRED.—The Comptroller Gen-
eral shall conduct a study to evaluate the decline, and any 
causes thereof, in the number of individuals who have been 
accepted into, or currently participate in, a graduate med-
ical education program or fellowship (or both) to provide 
health care services that— 
(1) requires more than 5 years of total grad-
uate medical training; and 
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(2) has fewer United States medical school 
graduate applicants than total number of training 
and fellowship positions. 
(b) DEADLINE.—Not later than one year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
shall submit a report on the study required by subsection 
(a) to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, 
and shall make the report widely available to the public. 
Additional reports may be periodically prepared and re-
leased as necessary. 
Passed the House of Representatives March 30, 
2006. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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Calendar No. 388 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 609 
AN ACT 
To amend and extend the Higher Education Act of 
1965. 
APRIL 4, 2006 
Read twice and placed on the calendar 
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