Bill · H.R. 10220· House(119-HR-10220)
SIMPLE Act
- Introduced
- 9/2/2026
- Last activity
- 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.
- Sponsored by
- Suzanne Bonamici
- Cosponsors
- - 6 - 0
- 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
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+9
Directly benefits low-income borrowers through $0 payment options and lowest-cost repayment plans.
Would students be better off under this?+8
Directly benefits students and recent graduates by reducing the risk of loan default.
Does this reduce what student borrowers owe or repay?+8
Provides significant relief to delinquent borrowers through automatic enrollment in the most favorable payment plans.
The opposite
Does this give people more control over their personal data?-2
Requires taxpayers to approve the disclosure of tax return information to the Secretary of Education.
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?-2
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
-
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
-
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. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+9Good For Students+8Good For Young Adults+7Good For Middle Class Households+6Good For African Americans+5Good For Hispanic Americans+5Good For Middle Aged+5Good For Native Americans+5Good For Asian Americans+4Good For Men+4Good For White Americans+4Good For Women+4
- Education And Technology
- Improves Student Loan Relief+8Improves College Affordability+7Improves Data Privacy-2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+2Improves Privacy Rights-2
- 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