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H.R.4259 / 113th Congress

E-BOOK Act of 2014

Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 14, 2014

Electronic Books Opening Opportunity for Knowledge Act of 2014 or the E-BOOK Act of 2014 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to up to 10 institutions of higher education (IHEs) to conduct pilot programs to reduce the cost of attendance for undergraduate students by expanding their access to digital course materials.

Directs the Secretary to give a preference to applications that demonstrate a commitment to serving disadvantaged students.

Requires grantees to make digital course materials available to undergraduate students in at least two different academic departments.

Allows the IHEs to use the grant funds to:

purchase and maintain the electronic equipment or software their pilot programs need;

purchase and maintain the digital and online content that instructors or students will use;

hire staff to administer their pilot programs, with priority given to hiring enrolled undergraduate students;

build or acquire extra storage space for pilot program equipment; and

revise and adapt academic curricula as needed to implement their pilot programs.

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Who introduced it

Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] · D–WA

Committees

  • Education and Workforce Committee
2 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.

  2. Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

  3. Introduced in House

  4. Introduced in House

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Mar 23, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze H.R.4259 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine H.R.4259 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

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Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine H.R.4259 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

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Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine H.R.4259 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

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