Country of Residence
United States
Age
16
Project title
BillSIMPLE
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
BillSIMPLE is a free civic engagement app that simplifies legislation, allows residents to share their opinions anonymously, and connects the public with government decision-making.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
My idea for BillSIMPLE started with a conversation at my own dinner table. My family was discussing a Florida bill related to homeowners insurance, but my parents had completely different interpretations of what the bill would actually do. My dad believed it could lower insurance costs, while my mom thought it might increase them. I wanted to find the answer, so I searched through official government websites and lengthy legislative documents filled with complicated legal language. Even after spending hours researching, it was difficult to understand what the bill meant and how it could affect our family. That was my “aha!” moment. If it was this difficult for my family to understand a law that could directly affect us, how many other Florida residents were facing the same problem? I realized that people cannot fully participate in decisions that affect their lives if they cannot easily understand those decisions in the first place. I began imagining a platform that could turn complicated legislation into simple explanations while giving residents a way to share their opinions. That idea became BillSIMPLE. I saw an opportunity to use technology to bridge the gap between government and the public, making civic engagement more accessible, especially for younger generations and first-time voters.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
One of the biggest challenges in civic engagement is that understanding legislation can be difficult and time-consuming. Government websites often contain lengthy bills, complicated legal terminology, and information spread across multiple sources. As a result, residents may struggle to understand what proposed laws actually mean, how they could affect their daily lives, or where to find reliable information. This creates a barrier between the public and the decisions being made on their behalf. This problem matters to me because I experienced it firsthand while researching a Florida homeowners insurance bill. Even when I actively tried to understand the legislation, I found myself spending hours searching through official websites and lengthy documents just to determine what the bill could mean for my family. I realized that if someone motivated to learn about government could find the process so confusing, others might simply give up. My community deserves to understand the laws that affect them and have an opportunity to make their voices heard. This is especially important for younger generations and first-time voters, who may be interested in participating in government but do not know where to begin. Through BillSIMPLE, I hope to reduce the information gap, make legislation more accessible, and encourage residents to become more informed and involved in their communities.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
BillSIMPLE is a free civic engagement platform that makes Florida legislation easier to understand and gives residents a way to participate in government decisions. Instead of searching through lengthy legal documents, users can explore a feed of real Florida bills with simplified summaries explaining why each bill was introduced, what it aims to change, and who it may affect. After verifying their Florida ZIP code, residents can anonymously share whether they support, oppose, or feel neutral about a bill. A statewide dashboard displays public sentiment, allowing users to see how other residents feel about different pieces of legislation and compare those opinions with the Governor's position. BillSIMPLE also helps users stay informed through personalized interests and alerts about bills related to topics they care about. Its profile features include a personal dashboard, leaderboard, and points system to encourage continued participation. The platform also includes government access for authorized staff. The Governor's Office can record the Governor's position on bills, while House and Senate staff can view public sentiment. This creates an opportunity for government officials to better understand the concerns and perspectives of the people they represent. By bringing bill summaries, public opinions, and government positions together in one accessible platform, BillSIMPLE helps turn complicated legislation into understandable information and makes civic participation easier for everyone.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
I hope to make a difference especially among younger generations and first-time voters by making government information less intimidating and encouraging them to become involved in decisions that affect their communities. BillSIMPLE also has the potential to help government officials better understand residents' perspectives and recognize the issues that matter to the public. My vision is to reach residents across Florida and eventually expand to states throughout the country. I measure success not only by the number of users, but also by the conversations BillSIMPLE can inspire, the awareness it can create, and the people it can empower to participate in government. Ultimately, I want BillSIMPLE to help build a more informed, connected, and engaged public.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
What makes BillSIMPLE different is that it brings multiple parts of civic engagement together in one accessible platform. While residents can find bills on government websites and read news articles explaining legislation, they often have to visit several different sources to understand a bill, learn how the public feels about it, and discover the government's position. BillSIMPLE combines these experiences in one place. It uses AI-assisted summaries to transform complicated legislative language into clear explanations, helping residents understand why a bill exists, what it proposes to change, and who it affects. Users can then anonymously share whether they support, oppose, or feel neutral about the bill and compare statewide public sentiment with the Governor's position. Another unique aspect is that BillSIMPLE connects residents with government officials through separate government access. Authorized staff can share the Governor's position or view public sentiment, creating a clearer connection between the public and the people making decisions. I also designed features that encourage people to stay involved beyond a single bill, including personalized interests, alerts, and a points system. Rather than treating civic engagement as something people only do during elections, BillSIMPLE makes following legislation an ongoing, accessible experience. My innovation is not simply presenting government information differently; it is bringing understanding, participation, and public awareness together to help create a more informed and connected community.
How many people are on your team?
1
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
BillSIMPLE is currently an individual project, with me leading its design, development, and overall direction. I create the features, make key decisions, test functionality, and use AI as a coding assistant for advanced technical challenges. I take responsibility for bringing the project from an idea to a working platform.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
I have a plethora of ideas for future improvements to BillSIMPLE, but for the next steps, I plan to prioritize several key features. These include expanding to additional states to test the platform on a broader scale and displaying how individual legislators voted for or against each bill. I also want to create a space where legislators can share proposed ideas with the public before formally introducing them as bills, allowing residents to provide feedback and express their support or concerns early in the process, which would save ample time for legislators. Additionally, I plan to introduce a feature that lets users congratulate and encourage legislators when a bill successfully passes, allowing the public to thank their local representative for their effort and giving visibility. While these are my initial priorities, I hope to continue developing new features that make BillSIMPLE the go-to app for every citizen in every state throughout our beautiful country, the United States.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I encourage others to learn about BillSIMPLE by showing them how complicated legislation can affect their everyday lives and how difficult it can be to understand government decisions without spending hours researching legal documents. I often use real examples, such as confusing home-insurance legislation, to demonstrate why accessible civic information matters. Through sharing my idea and demonstrating the app, I hope to show people that participating in government does not have to be intimidating or limited to people with legal or political backgrounds. BillSIMPLE gives users an opportunity to understand legislation, express their opinions, and stay informed about decisions that affect their communities. As the sole creator and developer of BillSIMPLE, I take responsibility for designing its features, developing the application, and continually finding ways to improve it. Moving forward, I plan to introduce BillSIMPLE to students, educators, civic organizations, and community groups through demonstrations and presentations. I also hope to use social media and partnerships to reach younger audiences who may not otherwise engage with legislation. My ultimate goal is not just to get people to use BillSIMPLE, but to encourage them to become more informed, confident, and active participants in their government.
