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Ends the Department of Education and shifts most of its programs and authorities to other federal agencies by October 1, 2026. Requires the President to deliver and implement a 180‑day liquidation plan that transfers specific programs to agencies such as HHS (an Office of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences), DOJ (Office for Civil Rights), NSF, Interior (Bureau of Indian Education), Defense, Labor, Treasury, and others; preserves ongoing legal actions and program instruments; schedules a nationwide sunset of some Title I funding in 2036; and prohibits new Federal Direct PLUS loans for instruction periods beginning on or after October 1, 2026. The bill also lets recipients decline (opt out of) transferred grants without penalty and maintains existing legal authorities and references for transferred functions so programs and proceedings continue during and after the transfer.
The bill shifts authority and programs from a central federal Department of Education to states and multiple agencies—increasing local control and reducing certain federal liabilities while creating significant transition risks, funding losses, and potential weakening of nationwide protections for students, especially low‑income and disabled populations.
State and local governments, school districts, and local officials gain substantially greater control over K–12 education decisions and funding priorities as many federal education functions and some grants are moved or phased out.
Existing statutes, orders, permits, contracts, applications, and ongoing lawsuits remain effective through the transfers, helping avoid immediate service interruptions and preserving claimants' rights during reorganization.
Eliminating new PLUS loans after 2026 protects future parents and graduate borrowers from taking on new high‑interest federal PLUS debt and limits future taxpayer exposure to PLUS loan defaults, while allowing a narrow grandfathering window for already‑disbursed students.
Students—especially low-income, disabled, and other vulnerable children—face loss or weakening of nationwide protections, funding (e.g., Title I, special education supports), and minimum standards that the Department of Education currently enforces.
The large-scale transfer and fragmentation of education programs across multiple agencies is likely to cause substantial transition disruptions—delays in funding, confusion for grant recipients, interrupted services, and potential gaps in supports during and after reorganization.
Shifting responsibility and reducing federal funding will likely force states and localities to replace lost resources, increasing costs for local taxpayers, raising the risk of program cuts, and placing new fiscal burdens on state/local budgets.
Introduced March 27, 2025 by Nathaniel Moran · Last progress March 27, 2025