A. The State Textbook Committee shall meet at the call of the chairperson as often as necessary, with two (2) weeks' public notice, to discharge its responsibilities. If necessary, not later than the first day of December of each year the State Textbook Committee shall meet at the call of the chairperson at the State Capitol and select textbooks for subjects taught in the public schools of the state up to and including the twelfth grade, which selections shall be for not more than six (6) years for every textbook.

B. The Committee may suspend any currently pending selection process of textbooks and may extend by at least two (2) years the six-year adoption period of those textbooks currently on the state adopted list, for the purpose of delaying for two (2) years the six-year adoption cycle of subjects.

C. "Textbooks", as used in Sections 16-101 through 16-124 of this title, means instructional materials that are designed for use by pupils as a learning resource. Instructional materials may be printed or nonprinted and may include textbooks, technology-based and other educational materials.

D. The Committee shall select textbooks or series of textbooks for each subject, which are in its judgment satisfactory. The State Textbook Committee may determine that unusual or extraordinary circumstances exist in a particular subject area during the period for which textbooks have been selected for that subject area. Unusual or extraordinary circumstances shall include but not be limited to significant new techniques of teaching in a particular subject area or significant new findings or discoveries in a particular subject area. Upon a determination by three-fourths (3/4) of the members of the State Textbook Committee that unusual or extraordinary circumstances exist in a particular subject area, the Committee may select one or more textbooks in that subject area for the remainder of the adoption period.

E. Five or more district boards of education may petition the State Board of Education to add a book or series of textbooks to the approved list selected by the State Textbook Committee.

The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules to implement the method and time frame for handling the petitions in the most expeditious manner.

Added by Laws 1971, c. 281, § 16-102, eff. July 2, 1971. Amended by Laws 1976, c. 99, § 3, emerg. eff. May 11, 1976; Laws 1977, c. 229, § 1, emerg. eff. June 14, 1977; Laws 1979, c. 94, § 1, emerg. eff. April 23, 1979; Laws 1984, c. 241, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 1984; Laws 1991, c. 280, § 69, eff. July 1, 1991; Laws 1993, c. 229, § 3, eff. July 1, 1993; Laws 2010, c. 457, § 5; Laws 2011, c. 49, § 1, emerg. eff. April 13, 2011; Laws 2016, c. 75, § 1, eff. July 1, 2016.