House Education and the Workforce Committee Republicans, led by Chairman Tim Walberg of Michigan, introduced a 10-bill package in July 2026 that would codify the Trump administration's interagency agreements moving Education Department programs to other Cabinet agencies. A markup was tentatively scheduled for July 15. The legislation goes beyond the existing executive arrangements in one key respect: under the administration's current agreements, the secretary of education retains ultimate decisionmaking authority over transferred programs. The bills would eliminate that residual role, permanently vesting authority in the head of the receiving agency.
What the package would move
Two bills would shift most major K-12 programs to the Department of Labor, including Title I formula grants for disadvantaged students and career and technical education programs. Representative Mark Harris of North Carolina introduced the legislation titled the "Less Bureaucracy, Better K-12 Education Act" and the "Less Bureaucracy, Better Higher Education Act," which would transfer the functions of the Education Department's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and Office of Postsecondary Education to Labor, along with staff, funding, and other transition resources.
Another bill would move competitive grant programs for family engagement and social services at schools to the Department of Health and Human Services, cementing action the administration took in February. A separate bill would direct the Treasury Department to take over the federal student loan program. The package would not formally close the Education Department.
The bills would not codify two of the administration's more controversial moves: directing the Justice Department to absorb the Education Department's office for civil rights, and sending special education grants to HHS. That exclusion reflects the political sensitivity surrounding those particular transfers.
Scale of the executive restructuring
The Education Department has announced six new interagency agreements with the Departments of Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services, and State. One agreement establishes an "Elementary and Secondary Education Partnership" with Labor to manage K-12 program competitions, provide technical assistance, and integrate Education Department programs with Labor's employment and training programs. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the administration is acting to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states, and pledged to work with Congress to codify the reforms.
How these bills differ from existing agreements
The distinction between the executive agreements and the proposed legislation centers on who holds ultimate authority. Under the 14 existing interagency agreements, the secretary of education retains decisionmaking power over transferred programs. The House bills would sever that link entirely, giving the receiving agency head full statutory control. That difference could become a negotiating point, since it represents a more permanent and complete transfer than what the executive branch has done on its own.
Parallel legislative efforts
The House package is one of multiple legislative tracks aimed at restructuring federal education functions. In the Senate, S. 1402, the "Returning Education to Our States Act," was introduced in the 119th Congress as a separate vehicle to transfer education authority back to states. Another bill, H.R. 2456, includes provisions transferring authorities to a director. These measures have not advanced far in the legislative process.
Political and intra-party dynamics
The bills face long political odds, particularly in the Senate, where they would need Democratic support to overcome procedural hurdles. The package also does not fully resolve internal Republican disagreements about specific transfers. Moving special education grants to HHS has drawn concerns even from some Republicans, including Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who chairs the Senate committee that oversees the Education Department. The House bills' decision to leave special education out of the package appears to acknowledge that sensitivity, even as the administration's executive agreements proceed with their own arrangements.
Walberg framed the package around the principle that education policy should focus on helping students succeed rather than preserving a federal bureaucracy, saying the bills would transfer key statutory authorities to agencies better equipped to carry them out while maintaining continuity for students and stakeholders.
Update - August 30, 2026
The House Education and Workforce Committee held its markup on July 15, 2026, as previously scheduled, and advanced all 10 bills to the House floor on near-party-line votes after a marathon session lasting more than six hours [12]. Every Democratic amendment—more than two dozen across the package—was rejected by the Republican majority [13]. All but one bill passed with unanimous GOP support; Rep. Kevin Kiley of California, who recently changed his party affiliation from Republican to Independent but remains in the GOP caucus, was the sole member to break ranks, voting against the bill transferring the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to Labor (H.R. 9610) [12].
Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the committee's action in a statement, saying the bills move the administration closer to "a leaner, results-driven government" [13]. No Senate companion legislation had been introduced as of mid-July, and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington said on social media, "Under NO circumstances will I let these bills pass the Senate," underscoring the steep procedural hurdle in the upper chamber where Republicans hold 53 seats and would need 60 votes to advance the package [13]. The timing of a full House floor vote has not been announced [14].