August 11, 2026 — The House and Senate are taking different approaches to the future structure of the U.S. Department of Education (USED). In the House, the Education and Workforce Committee has approved a package of 10 bills that would permanently transfer several USED programs and responsibilities to other federal agencies. The legislation would codify many of the Administration’s existing interagency agreements, including proposals to move workforce development programs to the Department of Labor, student loan functions to the Department of the Treasury, and certain education-related responsibilities to other federal agencies. The bills do not include changes to IDEA or the Office of Civil Rights. The bills have not yet been considered by the full House.
In the Senate, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee took a different approach, approving bipartisan legislation that would prevent the Administration from transferring several major USED offices to other federal agencies. Sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and co-sponsored by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the bill advanced on a 13-9 vote. The legislation would keep the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, and Office of Indian Education within USED. It does not address all of the Administration’s interagency agreements, including the transfer of the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice or the Office of Career and Technical Education to the Department of Labor.
For educator preparation, the House legislation would primarily change which federal agencies administer certain programs rather than eliminate the programs themselves. If enacted, educator preparation programs and grants authorized under federal law would continue unless changed through separate legislation or the annual appropriations process. The Senate legislation, meanwhile, would maintain several major USED offices that administer programs affecting students, schools, and postsecondary institutions.
It is important to note that the future of educator preparation programs is also tied to the FY 2027 appropriations process. The Administration’s FY 2027 budget proposal calls for eliminating several educator preparation programs, including the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP), Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED), and Teacher and School Leader (TSL) programs. The House Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Committee has similarly proposed eliminating funding for these programs in its FY 2027 appropriations bill. The Senate has not yet released or marked up its FY 2027 Labor, HHS, and Education appropriations bill.
Supporters of the House reorganization legislation argue that it would streamline the federal government and reduce bureaucracy by aligning programs with agencies that have related expertise. Opponents contend that distributing education responsibilities across multiple agencies could create administrative challenges and make federal education programs more difficult for states, institutions, and educators to navigate. The Senate legislation reflects concerns that moving major ED offices to other agencies could disrupt the administration of federal education programs and services.
The House and Senate would need to reach agreement on legislation before any changes requiring congressional approval could become law. At this point, the competing approaches in the two chambers leave the future structure and responsibilities of ED unresolved.
