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FAFSA Deadline Act

Public Law 118-145 · H.R. 8932 · 118th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 11, 2024 · Education

Sponsor: Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN-9)

Cosponsors (10): Rep. Virginia Foxx,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 381 yea, 1 nay381–1
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This act requires the Department of Education (ED) to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available by October 1 of each year. (Students apply for federal student aid by completing the FAFSA.)

Under current law, ED must enable applicants to submit the and initiate the processing of submitted by January 1 of the applicant's planned year of enrollment, and to the maximum extent practicable, on or around October 1 prior to the applicant's planned year of enrollment. This act removes the January 1 flexibility and imposes a statutory deadline for release of the as October 1.

The act also requires ED to certify to Congress by September 1 whether or not the FAFSA will be ready on October 1. If the FAFSA will not be ready by October 1, then the act requires the Secretary of Education to testify to Congress on (1) the anticipated failure to meet the deadline, and (2) the financial impact on students and families.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 118th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 381 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

381 yea1 nay50 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(186)

Republicans who voted yea(195)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1183 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.Res. 1568Procedurally relatedRelated bill

    Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8932) to establish an earlier application processing cycle for the FAFSA; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 7409) to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to wa…

  • S. 4632Related bill

    FAFSA Deadline Act of 2024

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.

  1. Dec 11, 2024Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-145.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 5, 2024FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 21, 2024FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. Nov 18, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  7. Nov 15, 2024FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 381 - 1 (Roll no. 465).House roll call 465
  9. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  10. FloorFloor · POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 8932, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill and by voice vote announced that the ayes had prevailed. Ms. Foxx demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announc…
  11. FloorFloor · The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  12. FloorFloor · Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8932, H.R. 7409 and H.R. 8446. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 8932, H.R. 7409, and H.R. 8446 under a closed rule, and provides for one hour of debate and one motion to recommit on each bill.
  13. FloorFloor · Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1568.
  14. Nov 12, 2024FloorFloor · Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1568 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8932, H.R. 7409 and H.R. 8446. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 8932, H.R. 7409, and H.R. 8446 under a closed rule, and provides for one hour of debate and one mot…
  15. Sep 20, 2024CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 589.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 118-695.
  17. Jul 10, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 34 - 6.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  19. Jul 5, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
  20. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • H.Amdt. 1227HouseRules Committee· offered Nov 15, 2024Agreed to

    Nov 15, 2024: On agreeing to the Rules amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.