Sponsors (6)
The bill preserves Department of Education accountability, program continuity, and statutory protections for specialized offices, but does so by restricting interagency flexibility—potentially raising costs and reducing the ability to deliver integrated, rapid services, including for tribal communities.
Students, teachers, and schools keep Department of Education control over core program functions (grants, monitoring, enforcement), preserving direct accountability to Congress and the Secretary and continuity in program administration.
Students with specialized needs and Indigenous communities retain statutory protections and specialized expertise because offices like special education and Indian education remain within the Department.
State and local governments and school systems may lose the Secretary's ability to use interagency expertise or capacity that could improve service delivery or efficiency.
The restriction could limit rapid, integrated federal responses—including research collaboration, data sharing, and technical assistance—reducing program effectiveness for schools and students.
Forcing the Department to retain or recreate capabilities rather than leverage other agencies may increase administrative burden and costs for the Department and taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Stops the Department of Education from creating new interagency agreements or outsourcing functions of four named offices and preserves existing arrangements in effect Feb 1, 2025.
Official title: Prohibit the transfer of certain offices and functions of the Department of Education to other Federal agencies, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 21, 2026 by Timothy Michael Kaine · Last progress July 21, 2026
Prohibits the Secretary of Education from creating or renewing new interagency agreements or outsourcing arrangements that move functions, programs, funds, goods, services, facilities, research, or joint projects administered by four named Department of Education offices to other federal agencies. It also bars transferring those offices’ functions to other Department offices and then subcontracting them outward. Existing interagency arrangements in effect on February 1, 2025 and renewals that keep the same or substantially similar terms are preserved.