Timothy Kaine (D-VA)
A bill to prohibit the transfer of certain offices and functions of the Department of Education to other Federal agencies, and for other purposes.
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 6 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 541.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill aims to prevent the Secretary of Education from transferring specific functions and offices to other Federal agencies. The prohibited offices include Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Postsecondary Education, Indian Education, and Elementary and Secondary Education. It restricts the Secretary from entering into agreements, procuring services, or sharing resources with other agencies regarding these specific programs. The bill also prevents transferring these functions to different offices within the Department of Education for the purpose of making interagency agreements. Additionally, it requires detailed cost analysis reports regarding interagency agreements and limits travel funds for the Secretary until certain information is provided.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +5
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
Mandates public disclosure of interagency agreement costs on the Department's website.
- Scored +4
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
Protects the Office of Indian Education from being transferred to other agencies.
- Scored +4
Would people with disabilities be better off under this?
Protects the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Transparency and Accountability: Under Section 2(a), the Secretary of Education is required to provide detailed analysis and reports regarding interagency agreements to various Congressional committees and the public. This includes information on actual and estimated obligations, which helps the public see how funds are being used.
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Financial Oversight of Program Administration: Section 2(a) requires reports that detail costs for various functions, such as grant administration, training, and technology upgrades. This provides insight into the actual expenditures compared to previous fiscal years.
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Public Access to Information: Section 2(a) mandates that the required detailed analysis and reports be made available to the public in an easily accessible format on the Department's website.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Agency Cooperation: Section 1(a)(1) prevents the Secretary of Education from entering into agreements, procuring services, or carrying out joint projects with other Federal agencies regarding specific offices. This could impact the ability of the Department to work with other agencies on functions like administering programs, making grant awards, or enforcing rights.
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Limitations on Program Flexibility: Section 1(a)(1)(B) prohibits the Secretary from transferring a function or program to another office within the Department of Education if that office then enters into an agreement with another Federal agency.
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Restrictions on Secretary's Travel: Section 2(b) prohibits the use of certain funds for the travel expenses of the Secretary of Education for fiscal years 2026 or 2027 unless specific information required by the bill is provided.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Protects the Office of Indian Education from being transferred to other agencies. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Protects the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Would students be better off under this? — Ensures stability in the offices overseeing primary, secondary, and postsecondary education. Would children be better off under this? — Protects offices dedicated to elementary and secondary education. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Protects the Office of Postsecondary Education.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Mandates public disclosure of interagency agreement costs on the Department's website.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — Requires rigorous cost comparisons and public reporting of expenditures for interagency agreements. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill mandates detailed cost analysis and reporting of interagency agreements to increase financial accountability.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — Protects the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services from being transferred to other agencies.
- 9/29/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/4/2026
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 541.
- 7/30/2026
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
- 7/29/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/27/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 7/21/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Susan CollinsRepublican · Maine
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Maggie HassanDemocrat · New Hampshire
Lisa MurkowskiRepublican · Alaska
Chris Van HollenDemocrat · Maryland