Less Bureaucracy, Better Workforce Development Act
Sponsored By: Representative Walberg, Tim [R-MI-5]
In Committee
Summary
Move of career, technical, and adult education functions from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor. This bill would transfer the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education programs (except sections 116 and 117), Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and related adult education, literacy, and transition-to-postsecondary programs into the Department of Labor to centralize workforce training and employment services.
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- Workers and learners: Adult learners and workers would see literacy, secondary diploma, and job-skill programs run by Labor, with a focus on preparing people for high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand jobs and smoother transitions to postsecondary education.
- Schools and local partners: State agencies, local education agencies, and community colleges would coordinate career and technical education under Labor, with continued emphasis on data, accountability, and quality assurance for CTE programs.
- Federal agencies and continuity: The Office of Management and Budget must ensure no net increase in federal Full-Time Equivalents and manage transfers of personnel, assets, grants, contracts, records, and unexpended balances. Existing legal actions, orders, payments, and references to the Secretary of Education would be preserved and treated as references to the Secretary of Labor for the transferred functions.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
Move career and adult education to Labor
If enacted, the bill would move career, technical, and many adult education programs from the Education Department to the Labor Department. It would transfer the Carl D. Perkins Act (except sections 116 and 117), Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, adult literacy, secondary-diploma, and related transition programs. Labor would run these programs through the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training and could use the same authorities the Education Secretary had and delegate duties. The bill would treat references to the Education Department as referring to Labor for the moved functions. These transfers would occur six months after enactment.
Existing orders, payments, and lawsuits continue
If enacted, orders, permits, grants, loans, contracts, certificates, licenses, and similar approvals tied to moved functions would continue until changed. Pending applications, payments, and appeals would proceed as if the transfer had not happened. Where the Education Department is a party to a lawsuit about a moved function, the Labor Department could be added or substituted as a party.
OMB authority and staff cap
If enacted, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget would decide which functions move and handle related staff, assets, contracts, and records transfers. OMB could make incidental dispositions and must certify to Congress that transfers comply and that there is no net increase in federal full‑time staff at impacted agencies. The no-net-increase rule uses the number of employees on the date of enactment as the baseline.
When transfers would take effect
If enacted, the law would generally take effect six months after enactment. Some transfers could start on the date of enactment but must be completed no later than the six-month effective date. The Labor Secretary could temporarily use Education Department staff, assets, and funds after enactment to help the transition. Permanent transfers of people, contracts, property, records, and unspent balances would follow federal transfer rules and unspent funds must be used for their original purpose.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Walberg, Tim [R-MI-5]
MI • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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