Education (Special Education)

The Sovereign States Education Restoration Act would abolish the U.S. Department of Education and transfer its programs to other federal agencies, including moving student loans (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) to the Treasury, special education to Health and Human Services, and Indian education to the Interior. It would create block grants for states to fund K-12 and postsecondary education, with funding allocated based on student enrollment in each state. States receiving these grants must submit annual data, pass audits, and comply with federal civil rights laws, enforced by the Justice Department. The bill authorizes funding equivalent to the 2019 Department of Education budget, allocating 50% for state block grants and 20% for oversight.

The Returning Education to Our States Act would terminate the U.S. Department of Education and transfer its functions to other federal departments, including moving elementary and secondary education block grants to the Department of Health and Human Services, student financial assistance to the Department of Treasury, and career and technical education programs to the Department of Labor. The bill would repeal most of the General Education Provisions Act but preserve FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protections for student records. Specific programs like Native American education would transfer to the Department of Interior, while special education programs would move to the Department of Health and Human Services. The transfer would occur one year after enactment, fundamentally reorganizing federal education administration by shifting oversight from the Department of Education to other executive branch departments.