# Senate Committee Approves Bill to Block Education Department Transfers Legislation preventing the transfer of four Education Department offices passes Senate committee. - **Source:** [The College Investor](https://brifing.si/source/d431d77d-492e-4105-be7c-2525bbb643ab) - **Published:** 2026-07-31 - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/e8c5b3fb-e90d-423e-b6a4-cdd09d57b749 ## Bill's Scope The Senate HELP Committee approved the S.5046 bill 13-9, blocking the Education Department from transferring four offices (special education, postsecondary, elementary/secondary, and Indian education) to other federal agencies. Introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine with two Republican co-sponsors, the bill notably excludes the Office for Civil Rights and Federal Student Aid from its protections. ## Transfer Background Since May 2025, the Education Department has signed 14 interagency agreements transferring significant K-12 and higher education administration functions. The department's inspector general reported a 40% staff reduction during this period. Special education oversight was moved to Health and Human Services in June, while civil rights enforcement went to the Justice Department. ## Overriding the Economy Act The legislation limits authority under the 1932 Economy Act that facilitates interagency cooperation. It prohibits the Education Department from transferring grant management, technical assistance, data collection, and enforcement authority for the four specified offices. The bill also prevents indirect transfers through internal office shuffling. Agreements before February 1, 2025 remain valid. ## Partisan Divisions HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) opposed the bill, while Democrat Patty Murray successfully amended it to require cost reporting for transfers. Murray revealed over $1 million spent implementing one agreement with the Labor Department. Republicans argue transfers create efficiencies, though practical costs of moving programs remain contentious. ## Clash with House Bills The Senate bill contradicts a 10-bill House package that would codify transfers and go further, moving federal student loans, Pell Grants, FAFSA, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness to Treasury. While interagency agreements can redistribute workload, they cannot reassign Congressional mandates - leaving 7.8 million borrowers legally tied to Education Department policies despite Treasury handling collections. ## Special Education Context Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) emphasized that special education programs were created in 1975 to guarantee free appropriate public education for children with disabilities. Collins argued the HHS transfer fundamentally misunderstands this purpose. The special education oversight transfer has emerged as the most controversial relocation. ## Implementation Challenges Education Department Deputy Secretary Melissa McMahon defended all 14 agreements, claiming they've produced stronger grant competitions, streamlined operations, and better outcomes. However, conflicting legislative approaches between chambers create implementation hurdles. Experts warn the standoff could paralyze education policy execution. ## Student Loan Implications While the bill doesn't cover federal student loans, 7.8 million borrowers would remain legally under Education Department authority despite Treasury handling collections. House bills aim to resolve this duality by statutory changes. The uncertainty in loan management potentially affects millions of students and families nationwide. ## Sources covering this story - https://thecollegeinvestor.com/85399/senate-committee-advances-bill-to-block-education-department-transfers/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._