I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3516 
To require the Internal Revenue Service to meet higher standards in security 
screening and to improve the process for obtaining return information 
and verification of nonfiling in connection with completing a Free Appli-
cation for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 27, 2017 
Mr. VEASEY (for himself, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. 
EVANS, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. RUSH, and Ms. 
MOORE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Internal Revenue Service to meet higher 
standards in security screening and to improve the proc-
ess for obtaining return information and verification of 
nonfiling in connection with completing a Free Applica-
tion for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reduce Barriers to 
College Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. IMPROVED IRS IDENTITY AUTHENTICATION PROC-
ESS. 
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue shall ensure 
that the implemented authentication processes used for all 
current and future online applications provide the level of 
assurance required by National Institute for Standards 
and Technology standards for the determined level of au-
thentication risk, as recommended by the Treasury In-
spector General for Tax Administration. 
SEC. 3. VERIFICATION OF NONFILING IN CONNECTION 
WITH FAFSA APPLICATION. 
(a) ONLINE PORTAL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commis-
sioner of Internal Revenue (in consultation with the 
Secretary of Education) shall establish an online 
portal for individuals to request and have submitted 
a verification of nonfiling for any taxable year to the 
Secretary of Education as part of the process of 
completing the individual’s Free Application for 
Federal Student Aid. 
(2) AUTHENTICATION.—Any such verification 
shall not be approved for submission through such 
portal process unless the individual’s identity is au-
thenticated by a valid social security number and 
any one of the following: 
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(A) Personal account number from a credit 
card, mortgage, home equity loan, home equity 
line of credit, or car loan. 
(B) Mobile phone with the individual’s 
name on the account. 
(C) Household utility bill associated with 
the individual’s mailing address. 
(D) Student transcripts. 
(E) Bank account statement. 
(F) Passport or State issued driver’s li-
cense. 
(b) RESPONSE TIME FOR VERIFICATION OF NON-
FILING IN CONNECTION WITH FAFSA.—The Internal 
Revenue Service shall, not later than 10 business days 
after receipt from the individual, process any request for, 
or respond to any inquiries relating to, a verification of 
nonfiling in connection with an individual’s Free Applica-
tion for Federal Student Aid. 
SEC. 4. SIMPLIFIED NEEDS TEST. 
Section 479 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1087ss) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(1)(B)(i)(II), by inserting 
before the semicolon at the end the following: ‘‘or 
has obtained a verification of nonfiling from the 
Commissioner of Internal Revenue’’; and 
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(2) in subsection (c)(2)(A)(ii), by inserting be-
fore the semicolon at the end the following: ‘‘or has 
obtained a verification of nonfiling from the Com-
missioner of Internal Revenue’’. 
Æ 
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