Returning Education to Our States Act

Bill: 118-s-5384
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]
Introduced: 2024-11-21
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Department of Education

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of the Interior

Department of the Treasury

Education programs funding

Elementary and secondary education

Executive agency funding and structure

Government lending and loan guarantees

Higher education

Indian social and development programs

Intergovernmental relations

Minority education

Special education

Student aid and college costs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-11-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-11-21
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Returning Education to Our States Act</strong></p><p>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.</p><p>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.&nbsp;</p><p>Additionally, the bill transfers each authority and program of ED's Office of Indian Education to the Department of the Interior.</p><p>The bill transfers the following programs to the Department of the Treasury:</p><ul><li>the Federal Pell Grant Program;</li><li>the Federal Family Education Loan Program;</li><li>the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program;</li><li>the Federal Perkins Loan Program;</li><li>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;</li><li>the Health Education Assistance Loan Program; and</li><li>the programs under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 and the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002.</li></ul><p>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&nbsp;postsecondary education.</p><p>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.</p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5384 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 21, 2024 Mr. Rounds introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To abolish the Department of Education, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Returning Education to Our States Act . 2. Abolishment of Department of Education Effective on the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Department of Education is abolished, and, with the exception of the programs transferred under section 3, any program for which the Secretary of Education or the Department of Education has administrative responsibility as provided by law or by delegation of authority pursuant to law is repealed, including each program under the following: (1) The Department of Education Organization Act ( 20 U.S.C. 3401 et seq. ). (2) The General Education Provisions Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1221 et seq. ). 3. Transfer of certain department of education programs (a) In General Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act— (1) all functions, programs, and authorities of the Secretary of Education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1460 et seq. ) shall be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services; (2) each authority and program of the Office of Indian Education of the Department of Education shall be transferred to the Department of the Interior; (3) each Impact Aid program under title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7701 et seq. ) shall be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services; (4) the Federal Pell Grant program under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a ) shall be transferred to the Department of the Treasury; (5) the Federal Family Education Loan Program under part B of such title IV shall be transferred to the Department of the Treasury; (6) the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program under part D of such title IV shall be transferred to the Department of the Treasury; (7) the Federal Perkins Loans Program under part E of such title IV shall be transferred to the Department of the Treasury; (8) the activities described in part F, G, or H of title IV that are carried out by the Department of Education shall be transferred so as to be carried out by the Department of Treasury; (9) the Health Education Assistance Loan program under title VII of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 292 et seq. ) shall be transferred to the Department of Treasury; and (10) the programs under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 ( 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq. ) and the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 ( 20 U.S.C. 9601 et seq. ) shall be transferred to the Department of the Treasury. (b) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary. 4. Block grants to States (a) Elementary and secondary education State block grant program (1) In General The Secretary of the Treasury shall carry out a program under which the Secretary makes allocations to States to support elementary and secondary education, including career and technical education. (2) Allocations to States The allocations made by the Secretary of Treasury to each State under this subsection for a fiscal year shall be in an amount that bears the same relationship to the amount appropriated to carry out this subsection for the fiscal year as the number of students in kindergarten through grade 12 who were enrolled in public, private, and home schools in the State for the previous fiscal year bears to the number of such students in all States for the previous fiscal year. (3) Use of funds A State that receives an allocation under this subsection shall use such funding for any purpose relating to early childhood, elementary, or secondary education. (b) Postsecondary education State block grant program (1) In General The Secretary of the Treasury shall carry out a program under which the Secretary makes allocations to States to support postsecondary education. (2) Allocations to States The allocations made by the Secretary of Treasury to each State under this subsection for a fiscal year shall be in an amount that bears the same relationship to the amount appropriated to carry out this subsection for the fiscal year as the number of students who were enrolled in postsecondary educational institutions in the State for the previous fiscal year bears to the number of such students in all States for the previous fiscal year. (c) Block grant conditions As a condition of receiving a block grant under this subsection, a State shall provide the Secretary of Treasury with an assurance that the State will carry out each of the following: (1) Submitting student data to the Secretary of Treasury, annually, as requested by the Secretary of Treasury and as necessary for executing the program under this section. (2) Completing of annual audits that conform to generally accepted accounting principles, auditing procedures, and safeguarding of funds that conform to chapter 75 of title 31, United States Code (commonly known as the Single Audit Act of 1984 ) and submitting the results of such audits to the Secretary of Treasury. (3) Complying with all applicable Federal civil rights laws, including those described in section 5. (d) Misused or misappropriated funds If the Secretary of Treasury finds that any funds under this section have been misused or misappropriated by the State, the Secretary of the Treasury— (1) may require repayment of the misused funds and withhold Federal funds under this section for the next fiscal year; or (2) may reach a voluntary resolution agreement with that State. (e) Definitions In this section— (1) the term State means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each of the outlying areas; and (2) the term outlying area means American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. (f) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary. 5. Civil Rights Laws The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice shall be responsible for receiving complaints and otherwise enforcing and carrying out Federal civil rights laws that are applicable to the grant programs under section 4 and the programs described in paragraphs (4) through (7) of section 3, including— (1) section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( 29 U.S.C. 794 ); (2) title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 ( 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. ); or (3) title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ( 42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq. ).