YourVoice.Now Summary
Targeted & Unrelated ProvisionsInternational studies and Fulbright-Hays programs move to the State Department — and one minority-outreach program ends.
Targeted & Unrelated Provisions
The bill repeals the law that lets the Education Department fund an Institute for International Public Policy. The institute offers study abroad, graduate fellowships, internships, and language training to bring underrepresented groups into the Foreign Service and other global work.
More about this bill
The State Department would take over college programs for world studies and foreign languages. The Education Department runs them today. State would also run Fulbright-Hays, which pays for U.S. teachers to study abroad and build their language skills. The bill also ends the Institute for International Public Policy. That grant program helps bring more people from underrepresented groups into global jobs, including the Foreign Service (U.S. diplomats). The staff, records, and money for these programs would move to the State Department. The White House budget office (OMB) must make sure the move adds no federal staff overall. Grant and fellowship requests still waiting at the time of the move would still be handled. The change takes effect 6 months after the bill becomes law, though the move can start sooner.
Congressional Summary
Less Bureaucracy, Better International Education Oversight Act This bill transfers specified functions relating to international and foreign language studies programs from the Department of Education (ED) to the Department of State. Specifically, the bill transfers to the State Department all the functions and authorities exercised by ED before the bill's effective date related to international education programs in higher education (e.g., programs including National Resource Centers, Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships, and International Research and Studies) and the Fulbright-Hays Program. (On November 18, 2025, ED announced an interagency agreement with the State Department for the State Department to manage competitions, provide technical assistance, and integrate ED's programs with the State Department's existing programs, while ED must maintain its statutory responsibilities and program oversight.) The bill also repeals the Institute for International Public Policy. Additionally, the bill transfers to the State Department 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 the State Department or ED. Further, 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 effective date.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-07-09
- Date Added
- 2026-10-02
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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