PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Nov 21, 2024
Returning Education to Our States Act
This bill abolishes the Department of Education (ED) and terminates any applicable program for which it has administrative responsibility, except for those programs transferred to other federal agencies.
Specifically, the bill transfers from ED to the Department of Health and Human Services (1) all functions, programs, and authorities of ED under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and (2) each Impact Aid program.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Additionally, the bill transfers each authority and program of ED's Office of Indian Education to the Department of the Interior.
The bill transfers the following programs to the Department of the Treasury:
the Federal Pell Grant Program;
the Federal Family Education Loan Program;
the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program;
the Federal Perkins Loan Program;
the activities described in Part F (need analysis), Part G (general provisions relating to student assistance programs), or Part H (program integrity) of Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965;
the Health Education Assistance Loan Program; and
the programs under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 and the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002.
The bill also directs Treasury to establish two block grant programs, through which Treasury must make allocations to states to (1) support elementary and secondary education, including career and technical education; and (2) support postsecondary education.
The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division shall be responsible for receiving complaints and enforcing federal civil rights laws that are applicable to these block grant programs and federal student aid programs.
People & committees
Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] · R–SD
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Apr 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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