CT HB07235

Establishes the Connecticut Open Educational Resource Coordinating Council, appointed by the Office of Higher Education executive director, with representatives from UConn, regional community-technical colleges, Charter Oak State College, Connecticut State University System, and independent institutions of higher education.

Defines "open educational resources" as college-level materials available online at minimal cost under public domain or creative commons attribution licenses, including courses, textbooks, videos, software, and other teaching resources.

Council shall identify high-impact courses, establish competitive grant programs for faculty to develop or adopt open educational resources, review applications, administer standardized approval processes, and maintain a state-sponsored digital clearinghouse for resource access.

Council must meet quarterly and submit annual reports to the joint standing committee on higher education beginning January 1, 2018, with recommendations for statutory amendments to support open educational resources development.

Effective date: July 1, 2017.