I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4478 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to remove barriers for students 

seeking Federal financial aid by reducing the complexity and length 

of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and increasing 

support for working students and vulnerable populations. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 

Mr. SABLAN (for himself, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, and Mr. BERA) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 

Labor 

A BILL 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to remove 

barriers for students seeking Federal financial aid by 

reducing the complexity and length of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and increasing 

support for working students and vulnerable populations. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Simple FAFSA Act 

5 of 2019’’. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4478 IH

1 SEC. 2. SPECIAL RULES. 

2 (a) REFERENCES.—Except as otherwise expressly 

3 provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal 

4 is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, 

5 a section or other provision, the reference shall be consid6 ered to be made to a section or other provision of the 

7 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.). 

8 (b) ORDERLY TRANSITION.—The Secretary shall 

9 take such steps as are necessary to provide for the orderly 

10 transition to, and implementation of, the amendments 

11 made by this Act. The authority provided in the preceding 

12 sentence shall cease on the day that is one year after the 

13 effective date of this Act. 

14 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

15 (a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This Act, and the amend16 ments made by this Act, shall take effect with respect to 

17 the first award year beginning after the first October after 

18 the date of enactment of this Act and each succeeding 

19 award year. 

20 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

21 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. Special rules. 

Sec. 3. Effective date; table of contents. 

TITLE I—EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION 

Sec. 101. Expected family contribution. 

Sec. 102. Increasing support for working students by 35 percent. 

Sec. 103. Zero expected family contribution. 

Sec. 104. Using data from the second preceding year. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4478 IH

Sec. 105. Changes to untaxed income and benefits. 

TITLE II—SIMPLIFYING THE FAFSA 

Sec. 201. FAFSA pathways. 

Sec. 202. One-time FAFSA filing. 

Sec. 203. FAFSA in various languages. 

Sec. 204. Use of Internal Revenue Service data retrieval tool to populate 

FAFSA. 

Sec. 205. Information on FAFSA verification. 

Sec. 206. Conforming amendments to section 483. 

TITLE III—FEDERAL AID ELIGIBILITY 

Sec. 301. Exception to required registration with Selective Service System. 

Sec. 302. Repeal of suspension of eligibility under the Higher Education Act 

of 1965 for grants, loans, and work assistance for drug-related 

offenses. 

Sec. 303. Federal aid eligibility for Dreamer students. 

1 TITLE I—EXPECTED FAMILY 

2 CONTRIBUTION 

3 SEC. 101. EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 473(a) (20 U.S.C. 

5 1087mm) is amended by striking ‘‘academic year’’ and in6 serting ‘‘award year’’. 

7 (b) SPECIAL RULE.—Section 473(b) (20 U.S.C. 

8 1087mm) is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘academic 

10 year’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’; and 

11 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

12 (A) by striking ‘‘academic year’’ each place 

13 it appears and inserting ‘‘award year’’; and 

14 (B) by striking ‘‘academic years’’ and in15 serting ‘‘award years’’. 

16 (c) DATA ELEMENTS.—Section 474(b) (20 U.S.C. 

17 1087nn(b)) is amended in paragraph (4), by inserting beVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Sep 30, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4478.IH H4478

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4478 IH

1 fore ‘‘the net’’ the following: ‘‘only in the case of a path2 way three applicant,’’. 

3 (d) DEPENDENT STUDENTS.—Section 475 (20 

4 U.S.C. 1087oo) is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (a)(3), by inserting before 

6 ‘‘the student’’ the following: ‘‘only in the case of a 

7 pathway three applicant,’’; 

8 (2) in subsection (b)(1)(B), by inserting before 

9 ‘‘the parents’ ’’ the following: ‘‘only in the case of a 

10 pathway three applicant,’’; and 

11 (3) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ‘‘award pe12 riod’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’. 

13 (e) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITHOUT DEPEND14 ENTS OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 476(a)(1)(B) 

15 (20 U.S.C. 1087pp(a)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting be16 fore ‘‘the family’s contribution’’ the following: ‘‘only in the 

17 case of a pathway three applicant,’’. 

18 (f) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITH DEPENDENTS

19 OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 477(a)(1)(B) (20 

20 U.S.C. 1087qq(a)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting before 

21 ‘‘the family’s contribution’’ the following: ‘‘only in the case 

22 of a pathway three applicant,’’. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 4478 IH

1 SEC. 102. INCREASING SUPPORT FOR WORKING STUDENTS 

2 BY 35 PERCENT. 

3 (a) DEPENDENT STUDENTS.—Section 475(g)(2)(D) 

4 (20 U.S.C. 1087oo(g)(2)(D)) is amended to read as fol5 lows: 

6 ‘‘(D) an income protection allowance (or a 

7 successor amount prescribed by the Secretary 

8 under section 478) of $9,230 for award year 

9 2020–2021;’’. 

10 (b) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITHOUT DEPEND11 ENTS OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 476 (20 U.S.C. 

12 1087pp) is amended— 

13 (1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ‘‘award pe14 riod’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’; and 

15 (2) by amending subsection (b)(1)(A)(iv) to 

16 read as follows: 

17 ‘‘(iv) an income protection allowance 

18 (or a successor amount prescribed by the 

19 Secretary under section 478)— 

20 ‘‘(I) for single or separated stu21 dents, or married students where both 

22 are enrolled pursuant to subsection 

23 (a)(2), of $14,360 for award year 

24 2020–2021; and 

25 ‘‘(II) for married students where 

26 1 is enrolled pursuant to subsection 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 4478 IH

1 (a)(2), of $23,030 for award year 

2 2020–2021;’’. 

3 (c) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITH DEPENDENTS

4 OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 477 (20 U.S.C. 

5 1087qq) is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘award pe7 riod’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’; and 

8 (2) by amending subsection (b)(4) to read as 

9 follows: 

10 ‘‘(4) INCOME PROTECTION ALLOWANCE.—The 

11 income protection allowance is determined by the fol12 lowing table (or a successor table prescribed by the 

13 Secretary under section 478), for award year 2020– 

14 2021: 

‘‘Income Protection Allowance 

Family 

Size 

Number in College 

(including 

student) 

1 2 3 4 5 

For each 

additional 

subtract: 

2 $36,370 $30,160 $6,180

3 45,290 39,100 $32,890 

4 55,920 49,720 43,540 $37,300 

5 65,990 59,750 53,570 47,360 $41,180 

6 77,170 70,960 64,790 58,540 52,350 

For each 

additional 

add: 8,710 ’’. 

15 (d) UPDATED TABLES AND AMOUNTS.—Section 478 

16 (20 U.S.C. 1087rr) is amended— 

17 (1) in subsection (b)— 

18 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking subpara19 graphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following: 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For each award year 

2 after award year 2020–2021, the Secretary 

3 shall publish in the Federal Register a revised 

4 table of income protection allowances for the 

5 purpose of sections 475(c)(4) and 477(b)(4), 

6 subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C). 

7 ‘‘(B) TABLE FOR INDEPENDENT STU8 DENTS.—For each award year after award year 

9 2020–2021, the Secretary shall develop the re10 vised table of income protection allowances by 

11 increasing each of the dollar amounts contained 

12 in the table of income protection allowances 

13 under section 477(b)(4) by a percentage equal 

14 to the estimated percentage increase in the 

15 Consumer Price Index (as determined by the 

16 Secretary for the most recent calendar year 

17 ending prior to the beginning of the award year 

18 for which the determination is being made), and 

19 rounding the result up to the nearest $10.’’; 

20 and 

21 (B) in paragraph (2)— 

22 (i) in the first sentence, by striking 

23 ‘‘academic year after academic year 2007– 

24 2008’’ and inserting ‘‘award year after 

25 award year 2020–2021’’; and 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 4478 IH

1 (ii) in the second sentence, by striking 

2 ‘‘shall be developed’’ and all that follows 

3 through the period at the end and insert4 ing ‘‘shall be developed for each award 

5 year after award year 2020–2021, by in6 creasing each of the dollar amounts con7 tained in such section for award year 

8 2020–2021 by a percentage equal to the 

9 estimated percentage increase in the Con10 sumer Price Index (as determined by the 

11 Secretary for the most recent calendar 

12 year ending prior to the beginning of the 

13 award year for which the determination is 

14 being made), and rounding the result up to 

15 the nearest $10.’’; and 

16 (2) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ‘‘academic 

17 year’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’. 

18 SEC. 103. ZERO EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION. 

19 Section 479 (20 U.S.C. 1087ss) is amended to read 

20 as follows: 

21 ‘‘SEC. 479. ZERO EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION. 

22 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall consider an 

23 applicant to have an expected family contribution equal 

24 to zero if— 

25 ‘‘(1) in the case of a dependent student— 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(A)(i) the student’s parents are not re2 quired to file— 

3 ‘‘(I) a Federal income tax return; or 

4 ‘‘(II) with respect to Internal Revenue 

5 Service Form 1040, any of the following 

6 forms: Schedule A, Schedule B, Schedule 

7 C, Schedule C–EZ, Schedule D, Schedule 

8 E, Schedule F, Schedule H, Schedule J, 

9 and Schedule SE; and 

10 ‘‘(ii) the sum of the adjusted gross income 

11 of the parents is less than or equal to $34,000; 

12 or 

13 ‘‘(B) the student’s parents, or the student, 

14 received a benefit at some time during the pre15 vious 24-month period under a means-tested 

16 Federal benefit program; 

17 ‘‘(2) in the case of an independent student 

18 without regard to whether the student has depend19 ents other than a spouse— 

20 ‘‘(A)(i) the student (and the student’s 

21 spouse, if any) certifies— 

22 ‘‘(I) that the student (and the stu23 dent’s spouse, if any)— 

24 ‘‘(aa) is not required to file a 

25 Federal income tax return; or 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(bb) with respect to Internal 

2 Revenue Service Form 1040, any of 

3 the following forms: Schedule A, 

4 Schedule B, Schedule C, Schedule C– 

5 EZ, Schedule D, Schedule E, Sched6 ule F, Schedule H, Schedule J, and 

7 Schedule SE; and 

8 ‘‘(ii) the sum of the adjusted gross income 

9 of the student and spouse (if appropriate) is 

10 less than or equal to $34,000; or 

11 ‘‘(B) the student received a benefit at some 

12 time during the previous 24-month period 

13 under a means-tested Federal benefit program; 

14 or 

15 ‘‘(3) the applicant is a pathway one applicant 

16 under section 483(a)(13). 

17 ‘‘(b) EARNED INCOME CREDIT.—An individual is not 

18 required to qualify or file for the earned income credit in 

19 order to be eligible under this section. 

20 ‘‘(c) ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary shall annually 

21 adjust the income level necessary to qualify an applicant 

22 for the zero expected family contribution. The income level 

23 shall be annually increased by the estimated percentage 

24 change in the Consumer Price Index, as defined in section 

25 478(f), for the most recent calendar year ending prior to 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
11 

•HR 4478 IH

1 the beginning of an award year, and rounded up to the 

2 nearest $1,000. 

3 ‘‘(d) MEANS-TESTED FEDERAL BENEFIT PROGRAM

4 DEFINED.—For purposes of this paragraph, a ‘means5 tested Federal benefit program’ means a mandatory 

6 spending program of the Federal Government, other than 

7 a program under this title, in which eligibility for the pro8 gram’s benefits, or the amount of such benefits, are deter9 mined on the basis of income or resources of the individual 

10 or family seeking the benefit, and may include such pro11 grams as— 

12 ‘‘(1) the supplemental security income program 

13 under title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 

14 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.); 

15 ‘‘(2) the supplemental nutrition assistance pro16 gram under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

17 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), a nutrition assistance program 

18 carried out under section 19 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 

19 2028), and a supplemental nutrition assistance pro20 gram carried out under section 1841(c) of title 48 

21 of the United States Code; 

22 ‘‘(3) the program of block grants for States for 

23 temporary assistance for needy families established 

24 under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act 

25 (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
12 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(4) the special supplemental nutrition program 

2 for women, infants, and children established by sec3 tion 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 

4 U.S.C. 1786); 

5 ‘‘(5) the State Medicaid program under title 

6 XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 

7 seq.); and 

8 ‘‘(6) any other program identified by the Sec9 retary.’’. 

10 SEC. 104. USING DATA FROM THE SECOND PRECEDING 

11 YEAR. 

12 Section 480(a)(1)(B) (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(a)(1)(B)) is 

13 amended by striking ‘‘may’’ in both places it appears and 

14 inserting ‘‘shall’’. 

15 SEC. 105. CHANGES TO UNTAXED INCOME AND BENEFITS. 

16 Section 480(b) (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(b) is amended— 

17 (1) in paragraph (1), to read as follows: 

18 ‘‘(1) The term ‘untaxed income and benefits’ 

19 means— 

20 ‘‘(A) child support received; 

21 ‘‘(B) untaxed portion of pensions; 

22 ‘‘(C) payments to individual retirement ac23 counts and Keogh accounts excluded from in24 come for Federal income tax purposes; and 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
13 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(D) cash support or any money paid on 

2 the student’s behalf, except, for dependent stu3 dents, funds provided by the student’s par4 ents.’’; and 

5 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

6 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of subpara7 graph (E); 

8 (B) by striking the period at the end of 

9 subparagraph (F) and inserting a semicolon; 

10 and 

11 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(G) worker’s compensation; 

13 ‘‘(H) veteran’s benefits such as death pen14 sion, dependency, or indemnity compensation, 

15 or veterans’ education benefits as defined in 

16 subsection (c); 

17 ‘‘(I) interest on tax-free bonds; 

18 ‘‘(J) housing, food, or other allowances (in19 cluding rent subsidies for low-income housing) 

20 for military, clergy, and others (including cash 

21 payments and cash value of benefits), or the 

22 value of on-base military housing or the value 

23 of basic allowance for housing determined under 

24 section 403(b) of title 37, United States Code, 

25 received by the parents, in the case of a deVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:42 Sep 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4478.IH H4478

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
14 

•HR 4478 IH

1 pendent student, or the student or student’s 

2 spouse, in the case of an independent student; 

3 or 

4 ‘‘(K) any other untaxed income and bene5 fits, such as Black Lung Benefits, Refugee As6 sistance, or railroad retirement benefits, or ben7 efits received through participation in employ8 ment and training activities under title I of the 

9 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 

10 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.).’’. 

11 TITLE II—SIMPLIFYING THE 

12 FAFSA 

13 SEC. 201. FAFSA PATHWAYS. 

14 Section 483(a) (20 U.S.C. 1090) is amended by add15 ing at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(13) FAFSA PATHWAYS.— 

17 ‘‘(A) MEMORANDUM OF UNDER18 STANDING.—Not later than the effective date of 

19 the Simple FAFSA Act of 2019, the Secretary 

20 shall seek to enter into a Memorandum of Un21 derstanding with the Secretary of Health and 

22 Human Services, the Secretary of Agriculture, 

23 and the Secretary of the Treasury, under which 

24 any information exchanged under an income 

25 and eligibility verification system established 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
15 

•HR 4478 IH

1 pursuant to section 1137 of the Social Security 

2 Act by State agencies administering a program 

3 listed in paragraph (1), (4), or (5) of subsection 

4 (b) of such section which may be of use in es5 tablishing or verifying eligibility or benefit 

6 amounts under such program shall be made 

7 available to the Secretary of Education to assist 

8 in determining whether the applicant (or, in the 

9 case of a dependent applicant, whether the ap10 plicant or the applicant’s parents) received a 

11 benefit at some time during the previous 24- 

12 month period under a means-tested Federal 

13 benefit program, but subject to the require14 ments of Federal law. 

15 ‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT FOR ALL APPLICANTS

16 AND THE SECRETARY.—For any award year for 

17 which an applicant applies for financial assist18 ance under this title (except for any award year 

19 for which, pursuant to paragraph (14), the ap20 plicant is not required to submit a FAFSA)— 

21 ‘‘(i) the applicant shall provide on the 

22 form described in this subsection whether 

23 the applicant received (or, in the case of a 

24 dependent applicant, whether the applicant 

25 or the parents of the applicant received) a 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
16 

•HR 4478 IH

1 benefit at some time during the previous 

2 24-month period under a means-tested 

3 Federal benefit program; and 

4 ‘‘(ii) the Secretary, to the extent prac5 ticable and pursuant to the Memorandum 

6 of Understanding entered into under sub7 paragraph (A), and without any further 

8 action by the applicant, shall verify the ap9 plicant’s (or, in the case of a dependent 

10 applicant, the applicant’s or the applicant’s 

11 parents) receipt of such benefit. 

12 ‘‘(C) PATHWAY ONE APPLICANTS.— 

13 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—With respect to an 

14 applicant who received (or, in the case of 

15 a dependent applicant, an applicant who 

16 received or whose parents received) a ben17 efit at some time during the previous 24- 

18 month period under a means-tested Fed19 eral benefit program, the applicant shall 

20 not be required to provide any further in21 come or asset information on the form 

22 under this subsection. 

23 ‘‘(ii) DESIGNATION.—For purposes of 

24 this section and part F, an applicant deVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:42 Sep 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4478.IH H4478

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
17 

•HR 4478 IH

1 scribed in clause (i) shall be referred to as 

2 a ‘pathway one applicant’. 

3 ‘‘(D) PATHWAY TWO APPLICANTS.— 

4 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—With respect to an 

5 applicant who is not a pathway one appli6 cant and is described in clause (ii), the 

7 Secretary, to the extent practicable, shall 

8 use the data retrieval tool under section 

9 484(q) to obtain any information for the 

10 applicant beyond the information described 

11 in subparagraph (A) for purposes of the 

12 form under this subsection. 

13 ‘‘(ii) REQUIREMENTS.—An applicant 

14 described in this clause is an applicant who 

15 certifies that— 

16 ‘‘(I) the applicant is not required 

17 to file or, in the case of a dependent 

18 applicant, no parent of the applicant 

19 is required to file— 

20 ‘‘(aa) a Federal income tax 

21 return; or 

22 ‘‘(bb) with respect to Inter23 nal Revenue Service Form 1040, 

24 any of the following forms: 

25 Schedule A, Schedule B, SchedVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:42 Sep 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4478.IH H4478

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
18 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ule C, Schedule C–EZ, Schedule 

2 D, Schedule E, Schedule F, 

3 Schedule H, Schedule J, and 

4 Schedule SE; and 

5 ‘‘(II) the sum of the adjusted 

6 gross income of the applicant or, in 

7 the case of a dependent applicant, the 

8 parents of the applicant, is less than 

9 or equal to $60,000. 

10 ‘‘(iii) DESIGNATION.—For purposes of 

11 this section and part F, an applicant de12 scribed in clause (i) shall be referred to as 

13 a ‘pathway two applicant’. 

14 ‘‘(E) PATHWAY THREE APPLICANTS.— 

15 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—With respect to an 

16 applicant who is not a pathway one appli17 cant or a pathway two applicant, the Sec18 retary, to the extent practicable, shall use 

19 the data retrieval tool under section 484(q) 

20 to obtain any information for the applicant 

21 beyond the information described in sub22 paragraph (A) for purposes of the form 

23 under this subsection. 

24 ‘‘(ii) DESIGNATION.—For purposes of 

25 this section and part F, an applicant deVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:42 Sep 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4478.IH H4478

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
19 

•HR 4478 IH

1 scribed in clause (i) shall be referred to as 

2 a ‘pathway three applicant’. 

3 ‘‘(F) MEANS-TESTED FEDERAL BENEFIT

4 PROGRAM DEFINED.—For purposes of this 

5 paragraph, the term ‘means-tested Federal ben6 efit program’ has the meaning given the term 

7 in section 479(d).’’. 

8 SEC. 202. ONE-TIME FAFSA FILING. 

9 Section 483(a) (20 U.S.C. 1090(a)) is further 

10 amended by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(14) ONE-TIME FAFSA FILING.— 

12 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 

13 other provision of this section and subject to 

14 subparagraphs (B) and (C), an applicant who 

15 submits a FAFSA for the first time for an 

16 award year for the period required for the com17 pletion of the first undergraduate baccalaureate 

18 course of study being pursued by such applicant 

19 and is eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant 

20 for such award year, for any succeeding award 

21 year— 

22 ‘‘(i) for which the applicant does not 

23 submit a FAFSA and for which the appli24 cant submits a certification form described 

25 in subparagraph (D) that does not indicate 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
20 

•HR 4478 IH

1 a change in the dependency status of such 

2 applicant, such applicant— 

3 ‘‘(I) shall not be required to sub4 mit a FAFSA to receive financial as5 sistance under this title; and 

6 ‘‘(II) shall have an expected fam7 ily contribution for such year that is 

8 equal to the expected family contribu9 tion of the applicant determined for 

10 the award year for which the appli11 cant submitted a FAFSA for such pe12 riod, except that an adjustment to 

13 such expected family contribution may 

14 be made under section 479A; 

15 ‘‘(ii) for which the applicant submits a 

16 certification form described in subpara17 graph (D) that indicates a change in the 

18 dependency status of the applicant, such 

19 applicant— 

20 ‘‘(I) shall be required to submit a 

21 FAFSA with respect to such award 

22 year to receive financial assistance 

23 under this title; and 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
21 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(II) shall have an expected fam2 ily contribution for such year that is 

3 determined based on such FAFSA; 

4 ‘‘(iii) for which the applicant submits 

5 a FAFSA, such applicant— 

6 ‘‘(I) shall have an expected fam7 ily contribution for such year that is 

8 determined based on such FAFSA; 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(II) shall be required to submit 

11 a FAFSA for any other award year 

12 for which the applicant seeks financial 

13 assistance under this title; and 

14 ‘‘(iv) for which the applicant does not 

15 submit a certification form described in 

16 subparagraph (D), such applicant shall 

17 submit a FAFSA for such succeeding 

18 award year and any other award year for 

19 which the applicant seeks financial assist20 ance under this title. 

21 ‘‘(B) ADJUSTMENT OF EXPECTED FAMILY

22 CONTRIBUTION.—With respect to an applicant 

23 described in subparagraph (A)(i) who receives 

24 an adjustment under section 479A to the ex25 pected family contribution of the applicant for 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
22 

•HR 4478 IH

1 an award year, for any succeeding award year 

2 after the award year for which the adjustment 

3 was made, subclause (II) of such subparagraph 

4 shall be applied to such applicant by sub5 stituting ‘expected family contribution of the 

6 applicant as most recently adjusted under sec7 tion 479A for such applicant’ for the ‘expected 

8 family contribution of the applicant determined 

9 for the award year for which the applicant sub10 mitted a FAFSA for such period’. 

11 ‘‘(C) RULE FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS.— 

12 With respect to an applicant who submits a 

13 FAFSA for award year 2020–2021 and enrolls 

14 in an institution of higher education for such 

15 year, subparagraph (A) shall be applied— 

16 ‘‘(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), 

17 by substituting ‘award year 2020–2021’ 

18 for ‘the first time for an award year’; and 

19 ‘‘(ii) in clause (i)(II), by substituting 

20 ‘award year 2020–2021’ for ‘the award 

21 year for which the applicant submitted a 

22 FAFSA for such period’. 

23 ‘‘(D) STUDENT CERTIFICATION FORM.— 

24 The Secretary, in cooperation with representa25 tives of agencies and organizations involved in 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
23 

•HR 4478 IH

1 student financial assistance, shall use behav2 ioral science insights to produce, distribute, and 

3 process free of charge a short and simple con4 sumer-tested certification form that uses skip 

5 logic to bypass fields that are inapplicable to an 

6 applicant. Such form shall not require an appli7 cant to provide data that the Secretary may 

8 otherwise obtain with respect to the applicant 

9 (such as age or active duty military status), and 

10 may only contain the data elements required for 

11 purposes of subparagraph (A)(i)— 

12 ‘‘(i) to confirm whether the applicant 

13 is— 

14 ‘‘(I) a dependent student; 

15 ‘‘(II) a single independent stu16 dent or a married independent stu17 dent without dependents (other than a 

18 spouse); or 

19 ‘‘(III) an independent student 

20 with dependents other than a spouse; 

21 ‘‘(ii) to allow the applicant to update 

22 the contact information of such applicant 

23 or the Federal School Code of the institu24 tion of higher education in which the appli25 cant is, or will be enrolled, for the award 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
24 

•HR 4478 IH

1 year for which the applicant submits such 

2 form; and 

3 ‘‘(iii) to ask whether the applicant’s 

4 need and eligibility for financial assistance 

5 under this title has not changed substan6 tially since the most recent of the fol7 lowing: 

8 ‘‘(I) The applicant submitted a 

9 FAFSA. 

10 ‘‘(II) The applicant received an 

11 adjustment under section 479A to the 

12 expected family contribution of the 

13 applicant. 

14 ‘‘(E) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 

15 ‘‘(i) DEPENDENCY STATUS.—The 

16 term ‘dependency status’ means the status 

17 of an applicant as— 

18 ‘‘(I) a dependent student; 

19 ‘‘(II) a single independent stu20 dent or a married independent stu21 dent without dependents (other than a 

22 spouse); or 

23 ‘‘(III) an independent student 

24 with dependents other than a spouse. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
25 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(ii) SUCCEEDING AWARD YEAR.— 

2 The term ‘succeeding award year’— 

3 ‘‘(I) when used with respect to 

4 an applicant who submits a FAFSA 

5 for the first time for an award year 

6 for the period required for the comple7 tion of the first undergraduate bacca8 laureate course of study being pur9 sued by such applicant, means any 

10 award year for such period that fol11 lows the award year for which the ap12 plicant submits such FAFSA; and 

13 ‘‘(II) when used with respect to 

14 an applicant described in subpara15 graph (C), means any award year 

16 after award year 2020–2021 for the 

17 period required for the completion of 

18 the first undergraduate baccalaureate 

19 course of study being pursued by such 

20 applicant.’’. 

21 SEC. 203. FAFSA IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES. 

22 Section 483(a) (20 U.S.C. 1090(a)) is further 

23 amended by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(15) FAFSA IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES.—The 

25 Secretary shall— 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
26 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(A) translate the form developed under 

2 this subsection into not fewer than 11 foreign 

3 languages based on the languages most often 

4 spoken by English learner students and their 

5 parents, and make the translated form available 

6 and accessible to applicants in paper and elec7 tronic formats; and 

8 ‘‘(B) ensure that the form developed under 

9 this subsection is available in formats accessible 

10 to individuals with disabilities.’’. 

11 SEC. 204. USE OF INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE DATA RE12 TRIEVAL TOOL TO POPULATE FAFSA. 

13 Section 483(f) (20 U.S.C. 1090(f)) is amended to 

14 read as follows: 

15 ‘‘(f) USE OF INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE DATA

16 RETRIEVAL TOOL TO POPULATE FAFSA.— 

17 ‘‘(1) SIMPLIFICATION EFFORTS.—The Sec18 retary shall— 

19 ‘‘(A) make every effort to allow applicants 

20 to utilize the current data retrieval tool to 

21 transfer data available from the Internal Rev22 enue Service to reduce the amount of original 

23 data entry by applicants and strengthen the re24 liability of data used to calculate expected famVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:42 Sep 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4478.IH H4478

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
27 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ily contributions, including through the use of 

2 technology to— 

3 ‘‘(i) allow an applicant to automati4 cally populate the electronic version of the 

5 forms under this paragraph with data 

6 available from the Internal Revenue Serv7 ice; and 

8 ‘‘(ii) direct an applicant to appro9 priate questions on such forms based on 

10 the applicant’s answers to previous ques11 tions; and 

12 ‘‘(B) allow taxpayers, regardless of filing 

13 status, to utilize the current data retrieval tool 

14 to its full capacity. 

15 ‘‘(2) USE OF TAX RETURN IN APPLICATION

16 PROCESS.—The Secretary shall continue to examine 

17 whether data provided by the Internal Revenue Serv18 ice can be used to generate an expected family con19 tribution without additional action on the part of the 

20 student and taxpayer. 

21 ‘‘(3) REPORTS ON FAFSA SIMPLIFICATION EF22 FORTS.—Not less than once every other year, the 

23 Secretary shall report to the authorizing committees 

24 and the Committees on Appropriations of the House 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
28 

•HR 4478 IH

1 of Representatives and the Senate on the progress of 

2 the simplification efforts under this subsection.’’. 

3 SEC. 205. INFORMATION ON FAFSA VERIFICATION. 

4 Section 483 (20 U.S.C. 1090) is further amended by 

5 adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(i) FAFSA VERIFICATION.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to applicants 

8 who submit a FAFSA for an award year and were 

9 determined using data provided in such FAFSA to 

10 be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for such 

11 award year, the Secretary shall submit to the au12 thorizing committees, and make publicly available, a 

13 report for such award year on— 

14 ‘‘(A) the number and share of such appli15 cants who received a Federal Pell Grant for 

16 such award year; 

17 ‘‘(B) the number and share of such appli18 cants who did not receive a Federal Pell Grant 

19 for such year; 

20 ‘‘(C) the number and share of such appli21 cants who were selected by the Secretary for 

22 verification of the data provided in the FAFSA; 

23 ‘‘(D) to the extent practicable, the number 

24 and share of applicants described in subparaVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:42 Sep 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4478.IH H4478

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
29 

•HR 4478 IH

1 graph (C) who enrolled in an institution of 

2 higher education in a year after such selection; 

3 ‘‘(E) the number and share of applicants 

4 described in subparagraph (C) who completed 

5 the verification process; 

6 ‘‘(F) of the applicants described in sub7 paragraph (E)— 

8 ‘‘(i) the average of the expected family 

9 contribution for all such applicants as de10 termined using data provided in the 

11 FAFSA; 

12 ‘‘(ii) the average of the expected fam13 ily contribution difference for all such ap14 plicants; 

15 ‘‘(iii) the average of the expected fam16 ily contribution difference for all such ap17 plicants whose expected family contribution 

18 as determined using data provided in the 

19 verification process was greater than the 

20 expected family contribution as determined 

21 using data provided in the FAFSA; and 

22 ‘‘(iv) the average of the expected fam23 ily contribution difference for all such ap24 plicants whose expected family contribution 

25 as determined using data provided in the 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
30 

•HR 4478 IH

1 FAFSA was greater than the expected 

2 family contribution as determined using 

3 data provided in the verification process; 

4 ‘‘(G) of the applicants described in sub5 paragraph (E)— 

6 ‘‘(i) the average Federal Pell Grant 

7 amount for all such applicants as deter8 mined using data provided in the FAFSA; 

9 ‘‘(ii) the average of the Federal Pell 

10 Grant difference for all such applicants; 

11 ‘‘(iii) the average of the Federal Pell 

12 Grant difference for all such applicants 

13 whose Federal Pell Grant amount as deter14 mined using data provided in the 

15 verification process was greater than the 

16 Federal Pell Grant amount as determined 

17 using data provided in the FAFSA; 

18 ‘‘(iv) the average of the Federal Pell 

19 Grant difference for all such applicants 

20 whose Federal Pell Grant amount as deter21 mined using data provided in the FAFSA 

22 was greater than the Federal Pell Grant 

23 amount as determined using data provided 

24 in the verification process; and 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
31 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(v) the number and share of such 

2 applicants who were determined using the 

3 data provided in the verification process to 

4 be ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant; 

5 ‘‘(H) the number and share of applicants 

6 described in subparagraph (C) who received a 

7 Federal Pell Grant for such award year; and 

8 ‘‘(I) the number and share of applicants 

9 described in subparagraph (C) who did not re10 ceive a Federal Pell Grant for such award year. 

11 ‘‘(2) DISAGGREGATION.—The data provided in 

12 a report under paragraph (1) shall be 

13 disaggregated— 

14 ‘‘(A) by applicants who were pathway one 

15 applicants for such year; 

16 ‘‘(B) by applicants who were pathway two 

17 applicants for such year; 

18 ‘‘(C) by applicants who were pathway three 

19 applicants for such year; and 

20 ‘‘(D) with respect to applicants described 

21 in subparagraphs (C) and (E), the verification 

22 tracking groups of such applicants. 

23 ‘‘(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

24 ‘‘(A) EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION

25 DIFFERENCE.—The term ‘expected family conVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:42 Sep 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4478.IH H4478

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
32 

•HR 4478 IH

1 tribution difference’ means, with respect to an 

2 applicant who completed a verification process 

3 with respect to the FAFSA, the difference be4 tween— 

5 ‘‘(i) the expected family contribution 

6 of such applicant as determined using data 

7 provided in the FAFSA; and 

8 ‘‘(ii) the expected family contribution 

9 of such applicant as determined using data 

10 provided in the verification process. 

11 ‘‘(B) FEDERAL PELL GRANT DIF12 FERENCE.—The term ‘Federal Pell Grant dif13 ference’ means, with respect to an applicant 

14 who completed a verification process with re15 spect to the FAFSA, the difference between— 

16 ‘‘(i) the amount of the Federal Pell 

17 Grant of such applicant as determined 

18 using data provided in the FAFSA; and 

19 ‘‘(ii) the amount of the Federal Pell 

20 Grant of such applicant as determined 

21 using data provided in the verification 

22 process.’’. 

23 SEC. 206. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 483. 

24 Section 483 (20 U.S.C. 1090), as amended by sec25 tions 201 through 205, is further amended— 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
33 

•HR 4478 IH

1 (1) in subsection (a)— 

2 (A) in paragraph (2)— 

3 (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

4 ‘‘process’’ and all that follows through the 

5 end of clause (ii) and inserting ‘‘process a 

6 paper version of the forms described in 

7 this subsection, in accordance with sub8 paragraph (B).’’; and 

9 (ii) by striking subparagraph (B); 

10 (iii) by redesignating subparagraph 

11 (C) as subparagraph (B); and 

12 (iv) in subparagraph (B), as so redes13 ignated, by striking ‘‘subparagraphs (A) 

14 and (B)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph 

15 (A)’’; 

16 (B) in paragraph (3)— 

17 (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

18 the end sentence; 

19 (ii) by striking subparagraph (B), and 

20 redesignating subparagraphs (C) through 

21 (H) as subparagraphs (B) through (G), re22 spectively; and 

23 (iii) in subparagraph (E), as so redes24 ignated, by striking ‘‘subparagraph (G)’’ 

25 and inserting ‘‘subparagraph (F)’’; 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
34 

•HR 4478 IH

1 (C) in paragraph (4)— 

2 (i) by striking ‘‘academic year’’ each 

3 place it appears and inserting ‘‘award 

4 year’’; and 

5 (ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

6 clause (iv); and 

7 (D) in paragraph (5)— 

8 (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

9 ‘‘paragraphs (2)(B)(iii), (3)(B), and 

10 (4)(A)(ii)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph 

11 (4)(A)(ii)’’; 

12 (ii) in subparagraph (B)— 

13 (I) by striking ‘‘determine’’ and 

14 all that follows through ‘‘which’’ and 

15 inserting ‘‘determine which’’; 

16 (II) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and in17 serting a period; and 

18 (III) by striking clause (ii); 

19 (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 

20 ‘‘Beginning’’ and all that follows through 

21 ‘‘of the State-specific’’ and inserting ‘‘The 

22 Secretary shall publish on an annual basis 

23 a notice in the Federal Register requiring 

24 State agencies to inform the Secretary of 

25 the State-specific’’; and 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
35 

•HR 4478 IH

1 (iv) by striking subparagraphs (D) 

2 through (F), and redesignating subpara3 graph (G) as subparagraph (D); 

4 (2) in subsection (c), by striking the last sen5 tence; 

6 (3) in subsection (d)(3)— 

7 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and 

8 EZ FAFSA’’; and 

9 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and 

10 EZ FAFSA’’; 

11 (4) in subsection (e)— 

12 (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘or, as 

13 appropriate, an EZ FAFSA’’; and 

14 (B) in paragraph (5)(D), by striking ‘‘or, 

15 as appropriate, an EZ FAFSA,’’; 

16 (5) by striking subsection (g); and 

17 (6) by redesignating subsection (h) as sub18 section (g). 

19 TITLE III—FEDERAL AID 

20 ELIGIBILITY 

21 SEC. 301. EXCEPTION TO REQUIRED REGISTRATION WITH 

22 SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM. 

23 (a) EXCEPTION.—Part B of title I (20 U.S.C. 1011 

24 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
36 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘SEC. 124. EXCEPTION TO REQUIRED REGISTRATION WITH 

2 SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM. 

3 ‘‘Notwithstanding section 12(f) of the Military Selec4 tive Service Act (50 U.S.C. 3811(f)), a person shall not 

5 be ineligible for assistance or a benefit provided under title 

6 IV if the person is required under section 3 of such Act 

7 (50 U.S.C. 3802) to present himself for and submit to 

8 registration under such section, and fails to do so in ac9 cordance with any proclamation, rule, or regulation issued 

10 under such section.’’. 

11 (b) REPEAL.—Subsection (n) of section 484 (20 

12 U.S.C. 1901) is repealed. 

13 SEC. 302. REPEAL OF SUSPENSION OF ELIGIBILITY UNDER 

14 THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965 FOR 

15 GRANTS, LOANS, AND WORK ASSISTANCE FOR 

16 DRUG-RELATED OFFENSES. 

17 (a) REPEALS.— 

18 (1) SUSPENSION OF ELIGIBILITY.—Subsection 

19 (r) of section 484 (20 U.S.C. 1091(r)) is repealed. 

20 (2) NOTICE.—Subsection (k) of section 485 (20 

21 U.S.C. 1092) is repealed. 

22 (b) REVISION OF FAFSA FORM.—Section 483 (20 

23 U.S.C. 1090), as amended by title II, is further amended 

24 by adding at the end the following: 

25 ‘‘(i) PROHIBITION ON QUESTIONS RELATING TO

26 DRUG OFFENSES.—The Secretary may not include on the 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
37 

•HR 4478 IH

1 forms developed under this subsection any data items re2 lating to whether an applicant has a conviction of any of3 fense under any Federal or State law involving the posses4 sion or sale of a controlled substance (as defined in section 

5 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 

6 802(6)).’’. 

7 SEC. 303. FEDERAL AID ELIGIBILITY FOR DREAMER STU8 DENTS. 

9 (a) FEDERAL AID ELIGIBILITY FOR DREAMER STU10 DENTS.—Section 484(a)(5) is amended by inserting ‘‘, or 

11 be a Dreamer student, as defined in subsection (u)’’, as 

12 amended by this section, after ‘‘becoming a citizen or per13 manent resident’’. 

14 (b) DEFINITION OF DREAMER STUDENT.—Section 

15 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

16 1091) is further amended by adding at the end the fol17 lowing: 

18 ‘‘(u) DREAMER STUDENT.— 

19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In this section, the term 

20 ‘Dreamer student’ means an individual who— 

21 ‘‘(A) was younger than 16 years of age on 

22 the date on which the individual initially en23 tered the United States; 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
38 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(B) has provided a list of each secondary 

2 school that the student attended in the United 

3 States; and 

4 ‘‘(C)(i) has earned a high school diploma, 

5 the recognized equivalent of such diploma from 

6 a secondary school, or a high school equivalency 

7 diploma in the United States or is scheduled to 

8 complete the requirements for such a diploma 

9 or equivalent before the next academic year be10 gins; 

11 ‘‘(ii) has acquired a degree from an institu12 tion of higher education or has completed not 

13 less than 2 years in a program for a bacca14 laureate degree or higher degree at an institu15 tion of higher education in the United States 

16 and has made satisfactory academic progress, 

17 as defined in subsection (c), during such time 

18 period; 

19 ‘‘(iii) at any time was eligible for a grant 

20 of deferred action under— 

21 ‘‘(I) the June 15, 2012, memorandum 

22 from the Secretary of Homeland Security 

23 entitled ‘Exercising Prosecutorial Discre24 tion with Respect to Individuals Who 

25 Came to the United States as Children’; or 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
39 

•HR 4478 IH

1 ‘‘(II) the November 20, 2014, memo2 randum from the Secretary of Homeland 

3 Security entitled ‘Exercising Prosecutorial 

4 Discretion with Respect to Individuals 

5 Who Came to the United States as Chil6 dren and with Respect to Certain Individ7 uals Who Are the Parents of U.S. Citizens 

8 or Permanent Residents’; or 

9 ‘‘(iv) has served in the uniformed services, 

10 as defined in section 101 of title 10, United 

11 States Code, for not less than 4 years and, if 

12 discharged, received an honorable discharge. 

13 ‘‘(2) HARDSHIP EXCEPTION.—The Secretary 

14 shall issue regulations that direct when the Depart15 ment shall waive the requirement of subparagraph 

16 (A) or (B), or both, of paragraph (1) for an indi17 vidual to qualify as a Dreamer student under such 

18 paragraph, if the individual— 

19 ‘‘(A) demonstrates compelling cir20 cumstances for the inability to satisfy the re21 quirement of such subparagraph (A) or (B), or 

22 both; and 

23 ‘‘(B) satisfies the requirement of para24 graph (1)(C).’’. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS