SACRAMENTO – On Sunday Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a package of legislation that furthers his commitment to making digital textbooks and other instructional materials available to California students statewide.

Specifically, these bills help increase the quantity, availability and practicality of using digital textbooks in the classroom.

“I am happy to sign these bills that build on the goals of California’s first-in-the-nation digital textbook initiative,” said Schwarzenegger. “With smart legislation such as this, California can lead the nation toward a more technologically advanced education system that meets the needs of today’s students while freeing up resources for schools to invest in other vital priorities in this difficult economic time.”

SB 48 by Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) requires that any individual, firm, partnership or corporation that offers textbooks for sale at the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges or any private postsecondary education institution in the state, to the extent practicable, make them available, in whole or in part, for sale in an electronic format by Jan. 1, 2020.

SB 247 by Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) will allow K-12 school districts to provide their students with electronic textbooks which should free up limited resources for other critical education priorities. This bill also opens the door for more technology-based instruction which can improve student performance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes with the use of creative and fun software to demonstrate complex STEM concepts.

AB 1398 by Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando) changes the definition of “technology-based materials” to include the electronic equipment required to make use of those materials only if that equipment is to be used by pupils and teachers as a learning resource and specifies that a district that is out of compliance with existing requirements to provide pupils sufficient textbooks or instructional materials is not authorized to purchase electronic equipment pursuant to this bill.

In May, the Governor launched the first-in-the-nation digital textbook initiative which is designed to ensure California’s students have access to high-quality, cost-effective instructional materials and to open the door to a more technologically advanced education system.

In August, the Governor announced that 16 free digital textbooks for high school math and science classes met at least 90 percent of California’s rigorous standards, and four met 100 percent.