Less Bureaucracy, Better Tribal Education Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9604
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-07-09: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-10T10:23:22Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation aims to consolidate all federal functions related to Tribal education and job training under the Department of the Interior. Its goal is to reduce administrative overlap by eliminating the Department of Education's role in these areas.
Key Provisions
- Transfer of Functions: Section 2 transfers 22 specific programs from the Department of Education to the Secretary of the Interior. These include:
- Demonstration grants and professional development for American Indian children and youth.
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian education programs.
- American Indian and Native American language programs.
- Career and technical education programs for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians.
- Grants to Tribal colleges, universities, and other minority-serving institutions.
- Vocational rehabilitation, special education, and formula grants for American Indian education.
- Resilience programs funded under the American Rescue Plan.
- Repeals: Two sections (Part J and Part Z of title VIII) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 are eliminated.
- Authority and Transfers: The Interior Secretary gains all prior authorities of the Education Secretary for these functions. Personnel, assets, contracts, and unspent funds are moved accordingly, with limits on using funds only for their original purposes.
- Oversight: The Office of Management and Budget must ensure no net increase in full-time federal employees across affected agencies and certify compliance.
- Transition and Consultation: The Interior Secretary may use Education Department resources during implementation. The Education Secretary must consult with Indian Tribes within six months and publish a written response.
- Effective Date: The main changes take effect one year after the consultation response is published, though early transfers are allowed.
Significant Changes to Existing Law This bill shifts responsibility for numerous education and training programs serving Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities from the Department of Education to the Department of the Interior. It repeals specific authorities in the Higher Education Act and requires the Interior Department to handle all related duties previously managed elsewhere. References in other laws to the Education Secretary or Department are updated to refer to the Interior Secretary or Department.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The Department of the Interior assumes new oversight duties, while the Department of Education loses these functions. The Office of Management and Budget gains a monitoring role to control staffing levels.
- Citizens and Communities: Tribal governments, Native American students, educators, and institutions may experience changes in program administration and funding processes.
- International Relations: No direct effects are outlined.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Indian Tribes and their education or workforce programs.
- The Departments of Education and the Interior.
- The Office of Management and Budget.
- Tribal colleges, universities, and Native-serving institutions.
- Recipients of grants for language preservation, career training, and special education.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill includes standard savings clauses to preserve ongoing lawsuits, contracts, and proceedings. It requires formal tribal consultation aligned with existing executive orders on government-to-government relations. The no-net-increase staffing rule and OMB certification add administrative checks on implementation. No constitutional issues are addressed in the text.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-07-09: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 2026-07-09: Introduced in House
- 2026-07-09: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Less Bureaucracy, Better Tribal Education Act — issued 2026-07-09 — PDF (14 pages)