I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4455 
To require Federal agencies to collaborate in the development of freely avail-
able open source educational materials in college-level physics, chemistry, 
and math, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 10, 2014 
Mr. FOSTER (for himself, Mr. RANGEL, and Ms. JACKSON LEE) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require Federal agencies to collaborate in the development 
of freely available open source educational materials in 
college-level physics, chemistry, and math, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Learning Opportuni-
ties With Creation of Open Source Textbooks (LOW 
COST) Act of 2014’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) According to the College Board, that the av-
erage student at a 4-year university spent an esti-
mated $1,222 per year on college books and sup-
plies. 
(2) According to the National Association of 
College Stores, the gross margin on new college text-
books was 25.6 percent in 2012. 
(3) The Government Accountability Office has 
found that college textbook prices have risen at twice 
the rate of annual inflation over the last two decades 
and that new textbook prices increased 82 percent 
over the last decade. 
(4) An open source material project that would 
make high quality educational materials freely avail-
able to the general public would reduce college text-
book costs and increase accessibility to such edu-
cation materials. 
(5) College-level open source course work mate-
rials in math, physics, and chemistry represent a 
high-priority first step in this area. 
(6) The scientific and technical workforce at 
Federal agencies, national laboratories, and federally 
funded research and development centers could 
make a valuable contribution to this effort. 
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(7) A Federal oversight role in the creation and 
maintenance of standard, publicly vetted textbooks is 
desirable to ensure that intellectual property is re-
spected and that public standards for quality, edu-
cational effectiveness, and scientific accuracy are 
maintained. 
SEC. 3. OPEN SOURCE MATERIAL PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall begin de-
velopment of college freshman-level, high quality, open 
source materials that— 
(1) contain, at minimum, a comprehensive set 
of textbooks or other educational materials covering 
topics in physics, chemistry, and calculus; 
(2) are posted on the Federal Open Source Ma-
terial Website; and 
(3) are free of copyright violations. 
(b) POSTING DEADLINE.—Not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
have posted the materials described in subsection (a) on 
the Federal Open Source Material Website. 
(c) SCREENING PROCEDURES.—Before publishing 
materials on the Federal Open Source Material Website, 
the Director shall, in collaboration with the agencies de-
scribed in section 5(b), develop, implement, and establish 
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procedures for checking the veracity, accuracy, and edu-
cational effectiveness of open source materials. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL OPEN SOURCE MATERIAL WEBSITE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall establish 
and maintain a Federal Open Source Material Website. 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF MATERIALS.—Materials in the 
Federal Open Source Material Website shall be made 
available free of charge to, and may be downloaded, redis-
tributed, changed, revised, or otherwise altered by, any 
member of the general public. 
SEC. 5. OPEN SOURCE MATERIAL REQUIREMENT FOR FED-
ERAL AGENCIES. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—The head of each agency de-
scribed in subsection (b) shall, under the guidance of the 
Director, collaborate with the heads of any other such 
agency or any federally funded research and development 
center to develop, implement, and establish procedures for 
checking the veracity, accuracy, and educational effective-
ness of open source materials that are posted on the Fed-
eral Open Source Material Website. 
(b) AGENCY FUNDING.—The head of each agency 
that expends more than $10,000,000 in a fiscal year on 
scientific education or scientific outreach shall use at least 
2 percent of such funds for collaboration described in sub-
section (a). 
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SEC. 6. REGULATIONS. 
The Director shall prescribe regulations necessary to 
implement this Act, including redistribution and attribu-
tion standards for open source materials produced under 
this Act. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the National Science Foundation. 
(2) 
FEDERAL
OPEN
SOURCE
MATERIAL 
WEBSITE.—The term ‘‘Federal Open Source Mate-
rial Website’’ means the website established under 
section 4(a). 
(3) HIGH QUALITY.—The term ‘‘high quality’’ 
means— 
(A) tested for optimal student engagement; 
(B) tested for optimal content consump-
tion; 
(C) subjected to an editorial peer review 
process; and 
(D) free of copyright violations. 
(4) OPEN
SOURCE
MATERIALS.—The term 
‘‘open source materials’’ means materials that are 
posted on a website that are available free of charge 
to, and may be downloaded, redistributed changed, 
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revised, or otherwise altered by, any member of the 
general public. 
SEC. 8. GAO REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than July 1, 2018, the Comptroller General 
shall prepare and submit a report to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives detailing— 
(1) the open source materials created or adapt-
ed under this Act; 
(2) the adoption of such open source materials; 
and 
(3) the savings generated for students, States, 
and the Federal Government through the use of 
open source materials. 
Æ 
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