Students now spend an average of $400 to $500 buying their books each semester. The cost of textbooks has increased by a staggering 186 percent.

The bill hopes to lower college textbook costs by prohibiting professors from community colleges and state universities from receiving profits on books they have written and then assigned to their students. However, the University of Florida already has similar policies in place, which require professors to disclose to administrators if the course material includes books they have written.

However, Dr Bova, chariman of the Faculty Senate, said royalties that professors receive are not significant. Still, Bova said that the bill has merits.

"It keeps on everyone's minds that students are being put in a bind and we need to find a way to work with students," said Bova.

Over the next year, Dr. Bova said UF administrators and faculty will be looking at more ways to lower textbook costs to students and help faculty put together more of their course work at lower costs.

Other states, including Missouri, Colorado, and Maryland, are proposing similar bills to protect the increasing costs to students, but these bills are focusing on the book publishers rather than the professors.