H.R. 9608 — Less Bureaucracy, Better Family Engagement Act

This section transfers to the Secretary of Health and Human Services all functions previously exercised by the Secretary of Education relating to the Family Engagement in Education Programs, the Community Support for School Success program, the National Activities for School Safety program, and the Ready to Learn Programming Grant program.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to exercise all authorities previously available to the Secretary of Education for performing any function transferred under the Act.

This section transfers to the Secretary of Health and Human Services 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 affected Federal agencies, measured from the date of enactment. It authorizes the Director to determine transferred functions and make incidental dispositions of personnel, assets, liabilities, contracts, property, and unexpended balances; terminate affairs of 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 on the effective date.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to delegate transferred functions to designated officers and employees of the Department and to permit successive redelegations, while retaining responsibility for administration of those functions.

This section deems references in any Federal law, Executive order, rule, regulation, delegation of authority, or related document to the Secretary of Education or the Department of Education to refer instead to the Secretary of Health and Human Services or the Department of Health and Human Services, respectively, for functions transferred under section 2.

This section preserves all orders, determinations, rules, regulations, permits, grants, loans, contracts, agreements, certificates, licenses, and privileges issued before the transfer of functions from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services. It continues pending proceedings and suits without abatement, requires substitution of the Secretary of Health and Human Services as a party where appropriate, and applies existing administrative and judicial review procedures to the transferred functions.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to use Department of Education personnel, assets, and appropriated funds for functions transferred under the Act, beginning on the date of enactment and for the period reasonably needed to ensure orderly implementation.

This section delays the effective date of the Act until 6 months after enactment, except as provided in section 9, and permits transfers of functions under section 2 or other provisions to begin on the date of enactment.