H.R. 9611: Less Bureaucracy, Better Higher Education Act

This bill would shift several higher education programs and related responsibilities from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor, specifically to the Secretary of Labor and the Employment and Training Administration.

What would be transferred

The bill moves control of a number of federal postsecondary education programs, including programs that support:

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Predominantly Black Institutions
• Hispanic-serving institutions
• Minority science and engineering efforts
• TRIO and GEAR UP student support programs
• Programs for students with disabilities and intellectual disabilities
• Graduate assistance in high-need fields
• Veteran student success and some other higher education initiatives
• Howard University-related federal functions
• Certain congressionally funded community projects overseen by the Office of Postsecondary Education

Programs the bill would eliminate

The bill would repeal several Higher Education Act programs, including:

• The Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program
• The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program
• The College Access Challenge Grant Program
• The Project Grad program

How the transfer would work

All relevant staff, assets, records, contracts, and unspent funding tied to the transferred programs would move from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor. The money would still have to be used for the purposes for which it was originally provided.

The bill also says that, for these programs, any legal references to the Secretary or Department of Education would generally be treated as references to the Secretary or Department of Labor instead. The Labor Secretary could delegate these functions within the department, but would remain responsible overall.

Transition rules

Existing grants, rules, contracts, proceedings, lawsuits, and other official actions related to the transferred programs would generally continue under the same terms unless changed later under the law. The Office of Management and Budget would oversee the transition, including making sure the change does not increase total full-time equivalent federal staff at the affected agencies.

The bill would take effect 6 months after enactment, though some transition steps could begin sooner.

Relevant Companies

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