This bill transfers specified functions relating to tribal education and job training from the Department of Education (ED) to the Department of the Interior. Specifically, the bill transfers to Interior all the functions and authorities exercised by ED before the bill's effective date related to Indian elementary and secondary education, higher education, career and technical education, and vocational rehabilitation. (On November 18, 2025, ED announced an interagency agreement with Interior for Interior to manage competitions, provide technical assistance, and integrate ED's programs with Interior's programs, while ED maintains its statutory responsibilities and oversight.) The bill repeals (1) a program regarding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education; and (2) the Henry Kuualoha Giugni Kupuna Memorial Archives. Additionally, the bill transfers to Interior all personnel and appropriations related to the functions that are transferred under this bill. The bill outlines the authority of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) related to the functions that are transferred under this bill, including that OMB must ensure that this bill does not create a net increase in full-time equivalent employees at Interior or ED. OMB must certify compliance with the bill to specified congressional committees. The transfer of these functions does not affect any suits, proceedings, or applications for benefits, services, licenses, permits, certificates, or financial assistance that are pending on the date of this bill's enactment. The bill takes effect one year after ED corresponds with and publishes a response to Indian tribes on the bill's implementation.

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SubjectsAlaska Natives and HawaiiansDepartment of EducationDepartment of the InteriorEducation programs fundingElementary and secondary educationExecutive agency funding and structureFederal-Indian relationsIndian social and development programsMinority educationSpecial educationVocational and technical education

XML scalars

congress: 119
type: HR
number: 9604
originChamber: House
originChamberCode: H
introducedDate: 2026-07-09
updateDate: 2026-10-27T19:52:34Z
updateDateIncludingText: 2026-10-27T19:52:34Z
title: Less Bureaucracy, Better Tribal Education Act
legislationUrl: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9604

Constitutional authority statement (CDATA)

[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 112 (Thursday, July 9, 2026)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. OWENS:H.R. 9604.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Clause 3 of Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution andClause 18 of Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution[Page H4380]

Pipeline

Track

federal_presidential

Stage

Introduced

Stage rank

Sponsor

Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4] · [R-UT-4] · O000086
Rep-UT-4 current · 3 terms · @RepBurgessOwens · 1 district office

Sponsor record (congress_legislators)

Bio (legislators)

bioguide

O000086

status

current

official_full

Burgess Owens

first

Clarence

middle

null

last

Owens

suffix

null

nickname

Burgess

birthday

1951-08-02

gender

Current term (3 total)

type

rep

state

district

class

null

party

Republican

caucus

null

start

2025-01-03

end

2027-01-03

end_type

null

how

null

url

https://owens.house.gov

address

309 Cannon House Office Building Washington DC 20515-4404

office

309 Cannon House Office Building

phone

202-225-3011

fax

null

contact_form

null

rss_url

null

Leadership roles (0)

none

Committee memberships (8)

Aviation (house) · house · rank 10
Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education (house) · house · rank 4
Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (house) · house · rank 6
Higher Education and Workforce Development (house) · house · Chairman · rank 1
Highways and Transit (house) · house · rank 13
House Committee on Education and Workforce (house) · house · rank 9 · site
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (house) · house · rank 17 · site
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials (house) · house · rank 10

Social media

Twitter: @RepBurgessOwens
Facebook: @CongressmanBurgessOwens
Instagram: @repburgessowens
YouTube: @UCxeB7xjbLDJM9Yw6brXsX6Q

District offices (1)

9067 S. 1300 W, Suite 101, West Jordan, UT, 84088 · 801-999-9801 · 40.5868426,-111.9268181

Other names (0)

none

Sponsor FEC record (fec_live)

Candidate record (candidates) · cycle 2026

candidate_id

H0UT04076

cycle

2026

name

OWENS, BURGESS

party

REPUBLICAN PARTY

office

House

state

district

incumbent_challenge

Incumbent

candidate_status

active_through

2026

election_year

null

first_file_date

2019-11-04

last_file_date

2024-11-13

last_f2_date

2024-11-13

address

null

Candidate summary (candidate_summaries) · cycle 2026

cycle

2026

total_receipts

$735,673.75

total_disbursements

$869,102.60

cash_on_hand_end_period

$0.00

debts_owed_by_committee

$0.00

coverage_start_date

2025-01-01

coverage_end_date

2026-06-30

Connected committees (0)

none

Cosponsors (1)

Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6] · [R-OH-6] · R000619 · Co-sponsored 2026-08-13
Rep-OH-6 current · 2 terms · 2 district offices

Committees (1)

Education and Workforce Committee [House Standing]
2026-07-15T10:47:33ZMarkup By
2026-07-09T19:02:05ZReferred To

Actions — from XML (5)

2026-07-15Committeevia House committee actions
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 20 - 15.
2026-07-15Committeevia House committee actions
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
2026-07-09IntroReferralH11100via House floor actions
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
2026-07-09IntroReferralIntro-Hvia Library of Congress
Introduced in House
2026-07-09IntroReferral1000via Library of Congress
Introduced in House

Actions — from bill_actions table (0)

none

Titles

Display Title2026-07-10T10:23:22Z
Less Bureaucracy, Better Tribal Education Act
Short Title(s) as IntroducedIH2026-07-10T10:23:20Z
Less Bureaucracy, Better Tribal Education Act
Official Title as IntroducedIH2026-07-10T10:18:28Z
To ensure the Department of Interior will manage all Tribal education and job training, and for other purposes.

Text versions (from XML)

Introduced in House2026-07-09T04:00:00Z
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr9604ih/xml/BILLS-119hr9604ih.xml

Versions — from bill_versions table (0)

none

Policy area

Education

Summaries

00 · 2026-07-09 · Introduced in House

Less Bureaucracy, Better Tribal Education Act

This bill transfers specified functions relating to tribal education and job training from the Department of Education (ED) to the Department of the Interior.

Specifically, the bill transfers to Interior all the functions and authorities exercised by ED before the bill's effective date related to Indian elementary and secondary education, higher education, career and technical education, and vocational rehabilitation. (On November 18, 2025, ED announced an interagency agreement with Interior for Interior to manage competitions, provide technical assistance, and integrate ED's programs with Interior's programs, while ED maintains its statutory responsibilities and oversight.)

The bill repeals (1) a program regarding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education; and (2) the Henry Kuualoha Giugni Kupuna Memorial Archives.

Additionally, the bill transfers to Interior all personnel and appropriations related to the functions that are transferred under this bill.

The bill outlines the authority of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) related to the functions that are transferred under this bill, including that OMB must ensure that this bill does not create a net increase in full-time equivalent employees at Interior or ED. OMB must certify compliance with the bill to specified congressional committees.

The transfer of these functions does not affect any suits, proceedings, or applications for benefits, services, licenses, permits, certificates, or financial assistance that are pending on the date of this bill's enactment.

The bill takes effect one year after ED corresponds with and publishes a response to Indian tribes on the bill's implementation.

Related bills

none

Amendments (0)

none

Laws

none

Committee reports

none

Calendar number

null

CBO cost estimates

none

Latest action

Date

2026-07-15

Text

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 20 - 15.

Time

null

Dublin Core

format

text/xml

language

rights

Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

contributor

Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress

description

This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.

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congress

119

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9604

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hr-9604-119

title

Less Bureaucracy, Better Tribal Education Act

short_title

Less Bureaucracy, Better Tribal Education Act

sponsor_bioguide_id

O000086

sponsor_name

Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]

sponsor_party

sponsor_state

introduced_date

2026-07-09

latest_action_date

2026-07-15

latest_action_text

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 20 - 15.

status

null

policy_area

Education

subjects_json

[
  "Alaska Natives and Hawaiians",
  "Department of Education",
  "Department of the Interior",
  "Education programs funding",
  "Elementary and secondary education",
  "Executive agency funding and structure",
  "Federal-Indian relations",
  "Indian social and development programs",
  "Minority education",
  "Special education",
  "Vocational and technical education"
]

govinfo_billstatus_path

BILLSTATUS-119hr9604

raw_billstatus_xml

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