H.R. 9607 — Less Bureaucracy, Better Workforce Development Act

This section transfers to the Secretary of Labor (acting through the Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration) all functions previously exercised by the Secretary of Education regarding the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (except sections 116 and 117), Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, adult literacy and education programs that help learners obtain employment skills and secondary diplomas, and related career and technical education collaboration and improvement initiatives.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Labor to exercise all authorities previously available to the Secretary of Education for performing any function transferred under this Act.

This section transfers to the Secretary of Labor all personnel, assets, liabilities, contracts, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations connected to functions transferred under the Act. Unexpended funds may be used only for their originally authorized purposes.

This section requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to ensure the Act produces no net increase in full-time equivalent employees at impacted Federal agencies. It authorizes the Director to determine transferred functions, make incidental dispositions of personnel, assets, liabilities, contracts, property, and funds, terminate the affairs of all entities ended by the Act, and certify compliance to the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Labor to delegate transferred functions to designated officers and employees of the Department of Labor, with successive redelegations permitted as needed, while retaining full responsibility for administration of those functions.

This section deems references to the Secretary of Education and the Department of Education in any other federal law, executive order, rule, regulation, delegation of authority, or related document to refer instead to the Secretary of Labor and the Department of Labor for functions transferred under section 2.

This section preserves the validity of all orders, determinations, rules, regulations, permits, grants, loans, contracts, and other legal documents issued under functions transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor until modified or revoked. It also ensures that pending proceedings and suits continue without abatement, with the Secretary of Labor substituted as a party where appropriate, and that existing administrative and judicial review procedures remain in effect.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Labor to use Department of Education personnel, assets, and appropriated funds for the period reasonably needed to implement the orderly transfer of functions under this Act.

This section sets the effective date of the Act at six months after enactment, except as otherwise provided, while authorizing early implementation of function transfers beginning on the date of enactment.