Title: Equitable Student Aid Access Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Equitable Student Aid Access Act
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise requirements governing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The bill increases the adjusted gross income threshold used to determine whether a student qualifies for an automatic zero expected family contribution (EFC) in the calculation of the student's financial need. A dependent student is eligible for an automatic zero EFC if the student's parents have adjusted gross income up to $30,000. An independent student with non-spouse dependents is eligible for a zero EFC if the student and spouse have adjusted gross income up to $30,000.
The bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to allow students to use tax information from the year before the previous one in determining their financial aid eligibility. The Internal Revenue Service and ED must share available data pursuant to taxpayer consent.
The bill requires the FAFSA application to be available to students by October 1, which is three months earlier than is currently required.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2015 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2015

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to simplify the financial aid 
              application process, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2017

   Mr. Doggett (for himself, Ms. Adams, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Beyer, Mr. 
Blumenauer, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Brownley of California, Mrs. Bustos, Mr. 
 Cardenas, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Castro of Texas, 
Ms. Judy Chu of California, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. 
Cohen, Mr. Cuellar, Mrs. Davis of California, Ms. DeLauro, Ms. DelBene, 
Mr. Ellison, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Gonzalez of Texas, Mr. Al 
 Green of Texas, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Gutierrez, 
 Mr. Hastings, Mr. Higgins of New York, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Jayapal, 
Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Kind, 
 Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Ben Ray Lujan of 
 New Mexico, Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Mr. Meeks, Ms. 
 Moore, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Nolan, Ms. Norton, Mr. O'Rourke, 
 Mr. Payne, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. Ruppersberger, 
Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. 
   David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Soto, Mr. Swalwell of California, Ms. 
 Titus, Mrs. Torres, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Welch, and Mr. Wilson of South 
  Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to simplify the financial aid 
              application process, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Equitable Student Aid Access Act''.

SEC. 2. ZERO EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION.

    (a) Simplified Needs Test.--Section 479(b)(1) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ss(b)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)(i)--
                    (A) in subclause (II), by adding ``or'' at the end;
                    (B) in subclause (III), by striking ``or'' at the 
                end and inserting ``and''; and
                    (C) by striking subclause (IV); and
            (2) in subparagraph (B)(i)--
                    (A) in subclause (II), by adding ``or'' at the end;
                    (B) in subclause (III), by striking ``or'' at the 
                end and inserting ``and''; and
                    (C) by striking subclause (IV).
    (b) Zero Expected Family Contribution.--Section 479(c) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ss(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by inserting ``except as provided in paragraph 
                (3),'' before ``in the case of'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) in clause (ii), by adding ``or'' at the 
                        end;
                            (ii) in clause (iii) by striking ``or'' at 
                        the end and inserting ``and''; and
                            (iii) by striking clause (iv); and
                    (C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or'' at the 
                end;
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by inserting ``except as provided in paragraph 
                (3),'' before ``in the case of'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) in clause (ii), by adding ``or'' at the 
                        end;
                            (ii) in clause (iii) by striking ``or'' at 
                        the end and inserting ``and''; and
                            (iii) by striking clause (iv); and
                    (C) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3)(A) in the case of a dependent student, the student or 
        a member of the student's household received benefits at some 
        time during the previous 24-month period under a means-tested 
        Federal benefit program as defined under subsection (d); or
            ``(B) in the case of an independent student (without regard 
        to whether such student has dependents), the student received 
        benefits at some time during the previous 24-month period under 
        a means-tested Federal benefit program as defined under 
        subsection (d).''.
    (c) Income Threshold.--Section 479(c) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ss(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ``$23,000'' and 
        inserting ``$30,000''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``$23,000'' and 
        inserting ``$30,000''.
    (d) Means-Tested Federal Benefit Program.--Section 479(d)(2) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ss(d)(2)) is amended by 
striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following:
                    ``(C) the Medicaid program established under title 
                XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
                seq.);''.

SEC. 3. 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--
            (1) by striking ``may'' in both places it appears and 
        inserting ``shall''; and
            (2) by striking ``sharing of data between'' and inserting 
        ``sharing of data, to the extent such data is available, 
        between''.

SEC. 4. EARLY FAFSA SUBMISSION.

    Section 483(a)(8) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1090(a)(8)) is amended by striking ``as early as practicable prior to 
January 1 of'' and inserting ``not later than October 1 of the year 
preceding''.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to award 
years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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