H.R. 9606: Less Bureaucracy, Better Child Care for Student Parents Act

This bill would move responsibility for a specific federal child care program from the U.S. Department of Education to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The program involved helps low-income parents who are enrolled in postsecondary education access child care.

What changes

• All duties, powers, and related responsibilities that the Secretary of Education currently has under section 419N of the Higher Education Act of 1965 would be transferred to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
• This includes related responsibilities of Education Department staff who work on the program.
• Any legal references in federal law, executive orders, regulations, or documents that mention the Secretary of Education or the Department of Education for this program would instead be treated as referring to HHS.

What happens to staff, funds, and records

• Employees, assets, records, contracts, and other materials connected to the transferred functions would move to HHS.
• Unspent funds tied to the program would also transfer to HHS, but those funds would still have to be used for the same purposes they were originally approved for.
• The Office of Management and Budget would oversee parts of the transition and certify that the transfer does not increase the total number of full-time equivalent federal employees at the affected agencies.

How the transition would work

• HHS would be allowed to use Education Department personnel, assets, and funds temporarily to help carry out the transfer.
• Existing grants, contracts, rules, decisions, applications, and legal proceedings would generally remain in effect during and after the transfer unless they are later changed or ended under existing law.
• Pending cases and applications would continue without restarting just because the program moved agencies.

Timing

• The bill would take effect 6 months after enactment.
• However, the transfer steps could begin immediately after enactment, as long as they are completed by the effective date.

Relevant Companies

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