shall be available to institutions of higher 
education, guaranty agencies, and States 
in accordance with paragraph (9). 
‘‘(v) TESTING.—The Secretary shall 
conduct appropriate field testing on the 
forms developed under this subparagraph. 
‘‘(D) USE
OF
FORMS.—Nothing in this 
subsection shall be construed to prohibit the use 
of the forms developed by the Secretary pursu-
ant to this paragraph by an eligible institution, 
eligible lender, guaranty agency, State grant 
agency, private computer software provider, a 
consortium thereof, or such other entities as the 
Secretary may designate. 
‘‘(E) PRIVACY.—The Secretary shall en-
sure that data collection under this paragraph 
complies with section 552a of title 5, United 
States Code, and that any entity using the elec-
tronic version of the forms developed by the 
Secretary pursuant to this paragraph shall 
maintain reasonable and appropriate adminis-
trative, technical, and physical safeguards to 
ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the 
information, and to protect against security 
threats, or unauthorized uses or disclosures of
the information provided on the electronic 
version of the forms. Data collected by such 
electronic version of the forms shall be used 
only for the application, award, and administra-
tion of aid awarded under this title, State aid 
awarded under section 415C, or aid awarded by 
eligible institutions or such entities as the Sec-
retary may designate. No data collected by such 
electronic version of the forms shall be used for 
making final aid awards under this title until 
such data have been processed by the Secretary 
or a contractor or designee of the Secretary, ex-
cept as may be permitted under this title. 
‘‘(F) SIGNATURE.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of this Act, the Secretary may 
permit an electronic form under this paragraph 
to be submitted without a signature, if a signa-
ture is subsequently submitted by the applicant 
or if the applicant uses a personal identification 
number provided by the Secretary under sub-
paragraph (G) of this paragraph. 
‘‘(G) PERSONAL
IDENTIFICATION
NUM-
BERS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary may assign 
to applicants personal identification numbers—
‘‘(i) to enable the applicants to use 
such numbers in lieu of a signature for 
purposes of completing a form under this 
paragraph; 
‘‘(ii) to enable the applicants to use 
such numbers in lieu of a signature for 
purposes of completing forms required by 
States under section 415C; and 
‘‘(iii) for any purpose determined by 
the Secretary to enable the Secretary to 
carry out this title. 
‘‘(5) STREAMLINING.—
‘‘(A) STREAMLINED REAPPLICATION PROC-
ESS.—
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary 
shall develop streamlined reapplication 
forms and processes, including both paper 
and electronic reapplication processes, con-
sistent with the requirements of this sub-
section, for an applicant who applies for fi-
nancial assistance under this title in the 
next succeeding academic year subsequent 
to the year in which such applicant first 
applied for financial assistance under this 
title.
‘‘(ii) MECHANISMS
FOR
REAPPLICA-
TION.—The Secretary shall develop appro-
priate mechanisms to support reapplica-
tion. 
‘‘(iii) IDENTIFICATION
OF
UPDATED 
DATA.—The Secretary shall determine, in 
cooperation with States, institutions of 
higher education, agencies, and organiza-
tions involved in student financial assist-
ance, the data elements that can be up-
dated from the previous academic year’s 
application. 
‘‘(iv) REDUCED DATA AUTHORIZED.—
Nothing in this title shall be construed as 
limiting the authority of the Secretary to 
reduce the number of data elements re-
quired of reapplicants. 
‘‘(v) ZERO FAMILY CONTRIBUTION.—
Applicants determined to have a zero fam-
ily contribution pursuant to section 479(c) 
shall not be required to provide any finan-
cial data in a reapplication form, except 
that which is necessary to determine eligi-
bility under such section. 
‘‘(B) REDUCTION OF DATA ELEMENTS.—
‘‘(i) REDUCTION REQUIRED.—Of the 
number of data elements on the FAFSA 
on the date of enactment of the College 
Opportunity for All Act (including ques-
tions on the FAFSA for the purposes de-
scribed in paragraph (6)), the Secretary, in 
cooperation with representatives of agen-
cies and organizations involved in student 
financial assistance, shall reduce the num-
ber of such data elements by 50 percent 
within 5 years after such date of enact-
ment. Reductions of data elements under 
paragraph (3)(B), (4)(C), or (5)(A)(iv) 
shall not be counted towards such 50 per-
cent reduction unless those data elements 
are reduced for all applicants. 
‘‘(ii) REPORT.—The Secretary shall 
submit a report on the process of this re-
duction to each House of Congress within 
2 years after such date of enactment. 
‘‘(6) STATE REQUIREMENTS.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
include on the forms developed under this sub-
section, such State-specific nonfinancial data 
items as the Secretary determines are necessary
to meet State requirements for need-based 
State aid under section 415C, except as pro-
vided in paragraphs (3)(B)(iii) and (4)(C)(iii) 
of this subsection. Such items shall be selected 
in consultation with State agencies that submit 
applications under section 415C in order to as-
sist in the awarding of State financial assist-
ance in accordance with the terms of this sub-
section, except as provided in paragraphs 
(3)(B)(iii) and (4)(C)(iii) of this subsection. 
The number of such data items shall not be less 
than the number included on the form on Octo-
ber 7, 1998, unless a State notifies the Sec-
retary that the State no longer requires those 
data items for the distribution of State need-
based aid. 
‘‘(B) ANNUAL
REVIEW.—The Secretary 
shall conduct an annual review process to deter-
mine which forms and nonfinancial data items 
the States require to award need-based State 
aid and other application requirements that the 
States may impose. 
‘‘(C) STATE USE OF SIMPLIFIED FORMS.—
The Secretary shall encourage states to take 
such steps as necessary to encourage the use of
simplified application forms, including those de-
scribed in paragraphs (3)(B) and (4)(C), to 
meet the requirements under subsection (b) or 
(c) of section 479. 
‘‘(D) FEDERAL
REGISTER
NOTICE.—The 
Secretary shall publish on an annual basis a no-
tice in the Federal Register requiring State 
agencies to inform the Secretary—
‘‘(i) if the State agency is unable to 
permit applicants to utilize the simplified 
application forms described in paragraphs 
(3)(B) and (4)(C); and 
‘‘(ii) of the State-specific nonfinancial 
data that the State agency requires for de-
livery of State need-based financial aid. 
‘‘(E) STATE NOTIFICATION TO THE SEC-
RETARY.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Each State agency 
that submits an application under section 
415C shall notify the Secretary—
‘‘(I) whether the State permits 
an applicant to file a form described 
in paragraph (3)(B) or (4)(A) of this 
subsection for purposes of deter-