,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dehd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #a1         
#bjai,ms4 ,bass 7for herself1 ,mr4      
,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,mr4    
,vargas1 ,mr4 ,trone1 ,ms4 ,jackson     
,lee1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 
,pocan1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,bishop of   
,georgia1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,ms4 ,meng1    
,ms4 ,pressley1 ,mr4 ,evans1 ,ms4       
,roybal-,allard1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 ,ms4    
,lee of ,california1 ,mrs4 ,watson      
,coleman1 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,ms4 
,johnson of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,brown of      
,maryland1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1 ,mr4 ,payne1   
,mr4 ,thompson of ,mississippi1 ,mr4    
,clay1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4           
,blumenauer1 ,mr4 ,crist1 ,mr4 ,rouda1  
,mr4 ,young1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 
,mr4 ,serrano1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,mr4      
,garca of ,illinois1 and ,ms4 ,judy ,chu
 of ,california7 introduced the         
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,education and ,labor 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,higher        

,education ,act of #aife to repeal the  
suspension of eligibility for assistance
 under title ,,iv due to drug-related   
offenses4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,financial ,aid     
,fairness for ,students ,act or the     
,,fafsa ,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress  
finds the following3  7#a7 ,expanding   
the ability of low- and middle-income   
borrowers to pursue higher education is 
critical to reversing decades of        
exclusionary policies that have         
adversely impacted people of color4     
7#b7 ,under current law1 individuals    
with drug-related offenses are precluded
 from accessing ,federal grants1 loans1 
and work-study aid pursuant to section  
#dhd7r7 of the ,higher ,education ,act  
of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajia7r771      
commonly referred to as the ,aid        
,elimination ,penalty4  7#c7 ,the ,free 
,application for ,federal ,student ,aid 
7,,fafsa7 screens applicants for        
,federal financial aid based on her or  
his history of drug offenses4  7#d7     

,given that criminal sentencing laws in 
the ,united ,states disproportionately  
impact racial minorities and low-income 
communities1 the ,aid ,elimination      
,penalty may disproportionately hinder  
these same groups from accessing        
,federal financial aid4  7#e7           
,recognizing that an educated citizenry 
is the powerhouse of the ,nation1 that  
higher education allows ,americans to   
access well-paying jobs1 healthcare1    
strong interpersonal relationships and a
 higher quality of life1 the ,federal   
,government should incentivize the      
pursuit of higher education while       
ensuring equality of opportunity4  #c4  
,repeal of suspension of eligibility    
under the ,higher ,education ,act of    
#aife for grants1 loans1 and work       
assistance for drug-related offenses    
7a7 ,repeal ,subsection 7r7 of section  
#dhd of the ,higher ,education ,act of  
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajia7r77 is       
repealed4  7b7 ,revision of ,,fafsa form
 ,section #dhc of the ,higher ,education

 ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajij7 is 
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7i7 ,convictions ,the       
,secretary shall not include any        
question about the conviction of an     
applicant for the possession or sale of 
illegal drugs on the ,,fafsa 7or any    
other form developed under subsection   
7a774  4  7c7 ,conforming amendments    
,the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife   
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja et seq47 is        
amended-- 7#a7 in section #dbh7;b77#c7  
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgh7;b77#c77--  7,a7 in
 subparagraph 7,c71 by striking #dhe7l7 
and inserting #dhe7k72 and  7,b7 in     
subparagraph 7,d71 by striking #dhe7l7  
and inserting #dhe7k72  7#b7 in section 
#dce7;d77#e7 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4             
#ajhe7;d77#e77-- 7,a7 in subparagraph   
7,e71 by striking #dhe7l7 and inserting 
#dhe7k72 and  7,b7 in subparagraph 7,f71
 by striking #dhe7l7 and inserting      
#dhe7k72  7#c7 in section #dhd 7#bj     
,u4,s4,c4 #ajia7--  7,a7 by striking    
subsection 7r72 and  7,b7 by            

redesignating subsections 7s7 and 7t7 as
 subsections 7r7 and 7s71 respectively2 
7#d7 in section #dhe 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4     
#ajib7-- 7,a7 by striking subsection    
7k72 and  7,b7 by redesignating         
subsections 7l7 and 7m7 as subsections  
7k7 and 7l71 respectively2 and  7#e7 in 
section #dhg7;e77#b77;,b77ii77,,iv7 7#bj
 ,u4,s4,c4                              
#ajid7;e77#b77;,b77ii77,,iv771 by       
striking 7l7 of section #dhe and        
inserting 7k7 of section #dhe4