Skip to content

Employee Ownership Blog
Corey Rosen


Corey Rosen

Small Step Forward on Employee Ownership Provisions in WORK Act

The WORK Act seemed to be a major win for employee ownership advocates. The law directed the Department of Labor (DOL) to create an Employee Ownership Initiative office to provide education on employee ownership (which it has now done) and authorized $50 million in funding over five years, starting in fiscal year (FY) 2025, for state employee ownership outreach and education programs. Although the WORK Act authorized the expenditures for the state programs, funding comes through a separate appropriation process. On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a $13.5 billion FY 2024 DOL appropriation bill that says nothing about employee ownership in the bill itself, although the accompanying report directs the DOL to create the Employee Ownership Initiative and to issue guidelines on ESOP valuation (something the DOL has also already committed to do). The $9.8 billion House FY 2024 DOL appropriation bill also has no provisions on employee ownership; unlike the Senate report, the House committee's bill summary does not mention employee ownership. Because the DOL has already committed to the programs described in the Senate bill, it is unclear whether what the House did matters.


Corey Rosen

Act to Promote Private Employee Ownership Introduced in Both Houses

The Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act (PDF) has been introduced in the House and the Senate. The bill is a revision of a proposal submitted in each chamber to encourage the growth of S corporation ESOPs. Both bills have bipartisan support. The Senate bill’s lead sponsors are Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Steve Daines (R-MT); in the House, the lead sponsors are Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). There are 20 Senate cosponsors and 6 House cosponsors so far, including some of the most liberal and conservative members.


Corey Rosen

Policy Proposal by Leading Republican Thinkers Endorses ESOPs

Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, a project of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, has strongly endorsed regulatory changes to make it easier to set up ESOPs. The project, led by the Heritage Foundation, invited over 400 conservative scholars and thinkers to set out detailed policy recommendations for all aspects of the federal government, resulting in an 883-page document.


Corey Rosen

DOL Creates “Employee Ownership Initiative” to Promote EO

On July 10, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced it is creating the Employee Ownership Initiative within its Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). The initiative results from the 2022 Worker Ownership, Readiness, and Knowledge Act (WORK Act), which was enacted as part of the SECURE 2.0 Act in the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The WORK Act requires the DOL to set up a grant program for state employee ownership centers. Funding for that provision will need an appropriation in the 2023 budget. The DOL’s Employment and Training Division will administer the grant program. The WORK Act also requires the DOL to set up an office to provide information to states and other interested parties about employee ownership. That will be under EBSA.


Corey Rosen

California Employee Ownership Program Not Funded

In 2022, the California Employee Ownership Act became law by a unanimous vote. The bill established the California Employee Ownership Hub within the California Office of Small Business. The Hub was directed to “increase awareness and understanding of employee ownership among stakeholders, assist business owners and employees in navigating available resources, and streamline and reduce barriers to employee ownership.” California has a variety of loan support programs for which companies seeking to convert to employee ownership could potentially qualify.


Corey Rosen

Connecticut Bill Would Give Tax Incentive to Large Companies to Share Ownership

SB 1239, An Act Concerning Certain Employee Stock Ownership Plans, would allow Connecticut companies to avoid a state corporate tax surcharge if they provide at least 80% of their employees with at least 300 shares apiece for each year the surcharge applies. The state surcharge equals 10% of taxes paid and applies to companies with $100 million or more in income or companies that are part of a combined group of companies that file a unitary income tax return, regardless of income.


Corey Rosen

Employee Equity Investment Act Introduced in Both Houses with Bipartisan Support

Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), along with Representatives Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Blake Moore (R-UT), have introduced the Employee Equity Investment Act (EEIA). The bill would create an investment facility within the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program to provide loan guarantees for investment funds devoted to expanding employee ownership.


Corey Rosen

SBA Adopts New Guidance Making Loans to ESOPs Much Easier

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has taken steps to make loans to ESOPs much easier than under prior rules. The agency had received considerable criticism for issuing requirements for ESOP loans inconsistent with the language and intention of the Main Street Employee Ownership Act (MSEOA). That law was passed in 2018 to remove numerous barriers that made SBA loans or loan guarantees for ESOP acquisitions impractical. The law was also designed to allow ESOPs to qualify for loans under the SBA’s 7(a) program, which allows qualified lenders to process loan applications that can receive SBA guarantees. The loans can be for up to $5 million.