A Democratic bill with 6 Democratic cosponsors · See all 6 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The SIMPLE Act amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to help borrowers who are behind on their loan payments. It requires the Secretary of Education to notify borrowers when they are 31 days delinquent and provide information on eligible repayment plans. If a borrower is 75 days delinquent and hasn't chosen a plan, the Secretary will automatically enroll them in the income-driven plan with the lowest monthly payment. Similar automatic enrollment procedures are established for borrowers rehabilitating defaulted loans. The bill also allows the Secretary to use tax return information to determine income and family size for these plans.
Yes· 3 of 16
- Scored +9
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Directly benefits low-income borrowers through $0 payment options and lowest-cost repayment plans.
- Scored +8
Would students be better off under this?
Directly benefits students and recent graduates by reducing the risk of loan default.
- Scored +8
Does this reduce what student borrowers owe or repay?
Provides significant relief to delinquent borrowers through automatic enrollment in the most favorable payment plans.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
Requires taxpayers to approve the disclosure of tax return information to the Secretary of Education.
- Scored -2
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
Requires the sharing of tax return information with a government agency as a condition of benefit.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Automatic Enrollment in Lowest Payment Plans: For borrowers 75 days delinquent, the Secretary will provide the income-driven repayment plan with the lowest monthly payment, or the one with the most favorable terms if payments are equal (Section 2(a)(1)(8)(C)(i)).
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Simplified Income Verification: The Secretary can use tax return information to determine income and family size without the borrower needing to take further action (Section 2(a)(1)(8)(A)(i)).
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Help for Low-Income Borrowers: Borrowers with unavailable adjusted gross income and covered loans made before July 1, 2026, may have a calculated monthly payment of $0 if they select certain income-driven repayment plans (Section 2(a)(1)(8)(B)(v)(II)).
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Proactive Notification: Borrowers at least 31 days delinquent will receive notifications including descriptions of eligible repayment plans, simple instructions on how to select them, and estimated monthly payment amounts (Section 2(a)(1)(8)(B)).
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Flexibility to Change Plans: Borrowers using income-based repayment can choose to terminate that repayment and move to any other plan for which the loan is eligible at any time (Section 2(a)(4)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Requirement for Tax Disclosure: To be eligible for notification and automatic enrollment procedures, borrowers must affirmatively approve the disclosure of their tax return information to the Secretary (Section 2(a)(5)(A)(ii)).
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Potential for Additional Documentation: Borrowers with unavailable adjusted gross income and covered loans made before July 1, 2026, may be required to provide other income documentation if they choose a plan where a $0 payment is not automatically guaranteed (Section 2(a)(1)(8)(B)(v)(I)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Directly benefits low-income borrowers through $0 payment options and lowest-cost repayment plans. Would students be better off under this? — Directly benefits students and recent graduates by reducing the risk of loan default. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Young adults are a primary demographic for student loans and would benefit from lower monthly payments. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Provides a safety net for middle-class borrowers who become delinquent on student loans. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Provides relief to borrowers who are disproportionately affected by student loan debt. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Provides relief to borrowers who are disproportionately affected by student loan debt. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Middle-aged borrowers struggling with debt are helped by automatic enrollment in manageable plans. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Provides relief to borrowers who are disproportionately affected by student loan debt. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — Benefits borrowers who are struggling with student loan repayments. Would men be better off under this? — Provides financial relief to male borrowers struggling with student debt. Would white Americans be better off under this? — Benefits borrowers who are struggling with student loan repayments. Would women be better off under this? — Provides financial relief to female borrowers struggling with student debt.
- Education And Technology
- Does this reduce what student borrowers owe or repay? — Provides significant relief to delinquent borrowers through automatic enrollment in the most favorable payment plans. Does this make college cost less? — Improves affordability for borrowers by streamlining enrollment in low-payment, income-driven plans. Does this give people more control over their personal data? — Requires taxpayers to approve the disclosure of tax return information to the Secretary of Education.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Reduces the financial burden on delinquent borrowers by automatically enrolling them in the lowest payment plans.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Increases the authority of the Secretary of Education to automatically enroll borrowers in payment plans. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — Requires the sharing of tax return information with a government agency as a condition of benefit.
- 9/2/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 6 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Raja KrishnamoorthiDemocrat · Illinois
Seth MoultonDemocrat · Massachusetts
Lucy McBathDemocrat · Georgia
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Mark TakanoDemocrat · California
Frederica WilsonDemocrat · Florida