No Cost Educational Resources Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6686
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Education
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-12: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-08T16:43:41Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The "No Cost Educational Resources Act of 2025" (H.R. 6686) aims to promote affordable higher education by authorizing federal grants for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses that rely solely on free, publicly available digital reading materials, known as open educational resources (OER). This reduces costs for students by eliminating the need for paid textbooks.
Key Provisions
- Grant Authorization: The Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) can award grants to colleges and universities to support the creation, adaptation, and use of OER in STEM courses.
- Definitions:
- Open educational reading material: Free digital texts that anyone can download and share publicly.
- Open educational reading material course: A STEM course at a higher education institution where all required readings are OER only.
- Application Requirements: Institutions must submit plans showing:
- Leadership by library staff in implementing the grants.
- Collaboration with STEM faculty for development and ongoing use.
- Partnerships with other institutions to expand OER adoption.
- A process to ensure the quality of OER materials.
- Grant Priorities: Preference goes to institutions that:
- Serve many low-income or minority students.
- Assign faculty and librarians to lead OER course implementation.
- Use library resources to support OER.
- Apply OER to high-enrollment STEM courses.
- Offer incentives (e.g., cash rewards or extra time) for faculty to use OER.
- Reporting Requirement: Within two years of the first grant, IMLS must report to Congress on the number of grants awarded, their impact on increasing OER use in STEM courses, and estimated student savings compared to traditional paid-textbook courses.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill amends Section 262 of the Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9162), which currently authorizes IMLS grants for library and museum programs nationwide:
- Adds a new purpose (paragraph 6) for funding OER courses in higher education.
- Modifies the general grant rules to exempt OER grants from certain existing restrictions.
- Introduces a new subsection (d) with detailed rules, definitions, and priorities specific to OER, expanding IMLS's role beyond traditional library and museum support to include higher education innovation.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: IMLS will gain new responsibilities for administering and evaluating OER grants, potentially increasing its budget and oversight duties. Congress will receive data to assess program effectiveness.
- Citizens: Students, especially low-income and minority groups, could save significant money on course materials, making STEM education more accessible and reducing financial barriers to college completion. Faculty and librarians may benefit from incentives and collaborative opportunities.
- International Relations: No direct impacts; the bill focuses on domestic U.S. higher education.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Institutions of Higher Education: Colleges and universities, particularly those with STEM programs and large low-income/minority enrollments, will apply for and implement grants.
- Students: Primarily undergraduate STEM students who stand to gain from cost-free readings.
- Educators and Library Staff: Faculty in STEM fields and librarians will lead OER adoption, potentially receiving incentives.
- Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): Responsible for grant awards, administration, and reporting.
- Congress: Receives evaluation reports to inform future funding and policy.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The bill builds on existing federal authority under the Museum and Library Services Act without creating new agencies or mandates, ensuring smooth integration. It emphasizes quality reviews for OER to maintain educational standards.
- Constitutional: No apparent conflicts; it supports equal access to education under the general welfare clause but does not involve free speech, privacy, or state-federal tensions.
- Political: Promotes equity in education by targeting underserved students, aligning with broader goals of reducing college costs. It could encourage wider OER adoption nationwide, influencing state-level policies, but may face debates over federal spending priorities in a tight budget environment.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-12: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 2025-12-12: Introduced in House
- 2025-12-12: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- No Cost Educational Resources Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-12 — PDF (6 pages)