Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Fairness in Financial Aid Act” or the “FIFA Act”.
Fairness in Financial Aid Act
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide alternative identity verification procedures for individuals applying for Federal student assistance, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Assignment of personal identification number for Federal student assistance application
Section 483(a)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090(a)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(I) Assignment of personal identification number
“(i) In general—The Secretary shall assign a personal identification number under subparagraph (G) to an applicant who provides a valid social security number or taxpayer identifying number (as described in section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) verifying the identity of such applicant.
“(ii) Verification of taxpayer identifying number—The Secretary of Education, in cooperation with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall verify any taxpayer identifying number provided by an applicant under clause (i) before assigning a personal identification number to such applicant.
“(iii) Verification of SSN—The Secretary of Education, in cooperation with the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, shall verify any social security number provided by an applicant under clause (i) before assigning a personal identification number to such applicant.”
Sec. 3 Access to taxpayer identity information
Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended—
in subsection (l), by adding at the end the following:
“(23) Disclosure of taxpayer identity information for purposes of assigning a personal identification number under the Higher Education Act of 1965
“(A) In general—The Secretary may, upon written request from the Secretary of Education, disclose to officers and employees of the Department of Education the taxpayer identity information of a taxpayer who has requested a personal identification number under section 483(a)(3)(I) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090(a)(3)(I)).
“(B) Restriction on use of disclosed information—Taxpayer identity information disclosed under subparagraph (A) may be used by officers and employees of the Department of Education only for the purposes of, and to the extent necessary in, assigning a personal identification number to an applicant under section 483(a)(3)(I) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090(a)(3)(I)).”
in subsection (p)(4), by striking “or (22)” each place it appears and inserting “(22), or (23)”.