A Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee vote advanced legislation designed to prevent parts of the U.S. Department of Education from being transferred to other agencies. The bipartisan effort, S. 5046, would block movement of key offices covering special education and rehabilitative services, elementary and secondary education, postsecondary education, and Indian education, keeping these programs under Department of Education control. The committee action followed concerns raised by education advocacy groups that the administration’s interagency agreements transfer staff while preserving statutory responsibility in ways that complicate oversight for states and families. In markup debate, Sen. Susan Collins argued the bill keeps landmark programs where Congress originally placed them. Committee members also grappled with whether to include additional components such as the Office for Civil Rights. The amendment to block transfers of OCR functions was rejected along party lines, while a requirement to report costs of program transfers to Congress cleared with limited Republican opposition. The bill is now headed to a full Senate vote, as Congress escalates scrutiny of the administration’s broader effort to fragment or streamline Education Department operations through interagency agreements.