
ESOP Advocacy Issues
For decades Employee Stock Ownership Plans have received unprecedented bipartisan and bicameral support in Congress. This is only possible because of the tireless work of our passionate community. However, there are some fundamental issues that our community must rally around if we want to continue to grow and thrive in the years to come.
Current ESOP Advocacy issues
The ESOP Association requests that you please consider co-sponsoring the legislation and getting this legislation to a vote after more than a decade in Congress.
To both support American competitiveness and to help address the “silver tsunami” would you support grant funding for state employee ownership centers that offer education and technical assistance to businesses seeking to explore, convert to or manage an ESOP?
The ESOP Association is seeking regulatory clarity from the U.S. Department of Labor on a range of essential topics. This guidance clarity is needed so ESOPs do not continue to make business decisions under a fog of regulatory uncertainty.
Latest Advocacy News

House Appropriations Committee Considering Bill to Direct SBA to Act in Support of Employee Ownership
House Appropriations Committee Considering Bill to Direct SBA to Act in Support of Employee Ownership
Employee ownership is continuing to see support in Congress, coming off two huge wins in the U.S.

Senate Finance Committee Passes Retirement Security Legislation
Senate Finance Committee Passes Retirement Security Legislation
Senate Finance Committee passes the Enhancing American Retirement Now (EARN) Act, which includes a provision partially expanding section 1042 tax deferral to ESOPs that are S-corporations. The EARN Act section 1042 provision matches a similar provision in the Securing a Strong Retirement Act (H.R 2954) which passed the House of Representatives in March. The bill passed the Senate Finance Committee with unanimous support.

Enhancing American Retirement Now Act Released
Enhancing American Retirement Now Act Released

Senate Committee Passes Landmark Bipartisan Retirement Security Legislation Including Top Priorities for ESOPs
Senate Committee Passes Landmark Bipartisan Retirement Security Legislation Including Top Priorities for ESOPs
The United States Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has passed S. 4353, the Retirement Improvement and Savings Enhancement to Supplement Healthy Investments for the Nest Egg (RISE and SHINE) Act, which includes significant provisions that promote ESOPs and require the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to provide regulatory guidance the Association has been seeking for more than four decades.

The ESOP Association Provides Formal Written Comments to U.S. Department of Labor on Proposed Prohibited Transaction Exemption Rule
The ESOP Association Provides Formal Written Comments to U.S. Department of Labor on Proposed Prohibited Transaction Exemption Rule
Comment Letter Forewarns against Future Use of Proposed New Regs Against ESOPs; Requests the Department hold Public Hearings