IIB 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5528 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 12, 2016 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions 
AN ACT 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to simplify 
the FAFSA, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:33 Jul 13, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5528.RFS
H5528
emcdonald on DSK9F6TC42PROD with BILLS
HR 5528 RFS 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Simplifying the Appli-
cation for Student Aid Act’’. 
SEC. 2. USING DATA FROM SECOND PRECEDING YEAR. 
Section 480(a)(1)(B) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(a)(1)(B)) is amended by striking 
‘‘may’’ in both places it appears and inserting ‘‘shall’’. 
SEC. 3. CALCULATION OF ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT PERCENT-
AGE FOR FEDERAL PELL GRANTS. 
Section 401(b)(7)(C)(iv)(I) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(b)(7)(C)(iv)(I)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘calendar year’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year’’. 
SEC. 4. FAFSA SIMPLIFICATION. 
(a) FAFSA SIMPLIFICATION.—Section 483 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(I) FORMAT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of the Simpli-
fying the Application for Student Aid Act, the 
Secretary shall make the electronic version of 
the forms under this paragraph available 
through a technology tool that can be used on 
mobile devices. Such technology tool shall, at 
minimum, enable applicants to— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:33 Jul 13, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5528.RFS
H5528
emcdonald on DSK9F6TC42PROD with BILLS
HR 5528 RFS 
‘‘(i) save data; and 
‘‘(ii) submit their FAFSA to the Sec-
retary through such tool. 
‘‘(J) CONSUMER TESTING.—In developing 
and maintaining the electronic version of the 
forms under this paragraph and the technology 
tool for mobile devices under subparagraph (I), 
the Secretary shall conduct consumer testing 
with appropriate persons to ensure the forms 
and technology tool are designed to be easily 
usable and understandable by students and 
families. Such consumer testing shall include— 
‘‘(i) current and prospective college 
students, family members of such students, 
and other individuals with expertise in stu-
dent financial assistance application proc-
esses; 
‘‘(ii) dependent students and inde-
pendent students meeting the requirements 
under subsection (b) or (c) of section 479; 
and 
‘‘(iii) dependent students and inde-
pendent students who do not meet the re-
quirements under subsection (b) or (c) of 
section 479.’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:33 Jul 13, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5528.RFS
H5528
emcdonald on DSK9F6TC42PROD with BILLS
HR 5528 RFS 
(2) by amending subsection (f) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(f) USE OF INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE DATA 
RETRIEVAL TOOL TO POPULATE FAFSA.— 
‘‘(1) SIMPLIFICATION
EFFORTS.—The Sec-
retary shall— 
‘‘(A) make every effort to allow applicants 
to utilize the current data retrieval tool to 
transfer data available from the Internal Rev-
enue Service to reduce the amount of original 
data entry by applicants and strengthen the re-
liability of data used to calculate expected fam-
ily contributions, including through the use of 
technology to— 
‘‘(i) allow an applicant to automati-
cally populate the electronic version of the 
forms under this paragraph with data 
available from the Internal Revenue Serv-
ice; and 
‘‘(ii) direct an applicant to appro-
priate questions on such forms based on 
the applicant’s answers to previous ques-
tions; and 
‘‘(B) allow single taxpayers, married tax-
payers filing jointly, and married taxpayers fil-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:33 Jul 13, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5528.RFS
H5528
emcdonald on DSK9F6TC42PROD with BILLS
HR 5528 RFS 
ing separately to utilize the current data re-
trieval tool to its full capacity. 
‘‘(2) USE
OF
TAX
RETURN
IN
APPLICATION 
PROCESS.—The Secretary shall continue to examine 
whether data provided by the Internal Revenue Serv-
ice can be used to generate an expected family con-
tribution without additional action on the part of the 
student and taxpayer. 
‘‘(3) REPORTS ON FAFSA SIMPLIFICATION EF-
FORTS.—Not less than once every other year, the 
Secretary shall report to the authorizing committees 
on the progress of the simplification efforts under 
this subsection. 
‘‘(4) REPORTS
ON
FAFSA
ACCESS.—Not less 
than once every 10 years, the Secretary shall report 
to the authorizing committees on the needs of lim-
ited English proficient students using the FAFSA.’’. 
(b) FUNDING.— 
(1) USE OF EXISTING FUNDS.—Of the amount 
authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 
Education to maintain the Free Application for Fed-
eral Student Aid, $3,000,000 shall be available to 
carry out this Act and the amendments made by this 
Act. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:33 Jul 13, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5528.RFS
H5528
emcdonald on DSK9F6TC42PROD with BILLS
HR 5528 RFS 
(2) NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.—No 
funds are authorized by this Act to be appropriated 
to carry out this Act or the amendments made by 
this Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 11, 2016. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:33 Jul 13, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5528.RFS
H5528
emcdonald on DSK9F6TC42PROD with BILLS