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S. 1116: Department of Commerce and the Workforce Consolidation Act

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S. 1116: Department of Commerce and the Workforce Consolidation Act

112th Congress · introduced 2011-05-26 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2011-05-26 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Department of Commerce and the Workforce Consolidation Act

Plain summary

Department of Commerce and the Workforce Consolidation Act - Establishes the Department of Commerce and the Workforce, headed by a Secretary of Commerce and the Workforce, as an executive department for the advancement of economic growth and job opportunities. Consolidates in such Department: (1) the Office of the Workforce, (2) the Patent and Trademark Office, (3) the Small Business Administration (SBA), (4) the Office of Economic Affairs and Statistics, (5) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), (6) the International Trade Administration, (7) the Bureau of Industry and Security, (8) the Economic Development and Training Administration, (9) the Communications and Information Administration, and (10) the Office of Inspector General. Sets forth the powers and responsibilities of the Secretary. Transfers: (1) specified functions and programs of the Departments of Commerce and Labor to the Department of Commerce and the Workforce, (2) all functions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to the Department of the Interior, and (3) all functions of the National Marine Fisheries Service of NOAA to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Requires the President to issue an executive order to achieve cost savings in the areas of travel and relocation, printing and copying, and supplies and materials. Eliminates: (1) the International Labor Comparisons program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, (2) the career pathways innovation fund established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, (3) the Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration program (4) grants for public telecommunications facilities, (5) the Baldridge Performance Excellence Program, (6) the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, (6) the Emergency Steel Guaranteed Loan Program, and (7) certain functions and programs of the Bureau of the Census.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Department of Commerce and the Workforce Consolidation Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC] · 7 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Mike Lee (R-UT), John Thune (R-SD)

Agencies named in this bill

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-s1116 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112