Employee Equity Investment Act Would Expand Employee Ownership by Increasing Critical Access to Capital for ESOPs
Washington, D.C. – The ESOP Association today praised the introduction of the bipartisan Employee Equity Investment Act (EEIA) in the House and Senate.
The legislation aims to grow employee ownership in the U.S. by helping to dramatically improve the way new ESOPs are financed by providing much-needed access to capital, which has long been an impediment to new ESOP formation.
The ESOP Association
ESOP Association Resources
May. 10
Anyone involved with the ESOP community for any length of time has been confronted, and confounded, by the difficulties posed by the U.S. Department of Labor. The DOL’s enforcement division – the Employee Benefit Security Administration (EBSA) – was tasked under ERISA with serving as the protector of employee beneficiaries of qualified retirement plans.
May. 03
DOL Commits to Provide Long-Sought Regulatory Clarity with Stakeholder Input on the Valuation of Company Shares to be Bought by an ESOP
In a major victory for ESOPs, the U.S. Department of Labor earlier this month committed to move forward with a public notice and comment rulemaking on a key regulation the employee ownership community has sought since ESOPs were first created in 1974. The regulation will clearly define Adequate Consideration under Section 408(e) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), something The ESOP Association has long fought for.
In a major victory for ESOPs, the U.S. Department of Labor earlier this month committed to move forward with a public notice and comment rulemaking on a key regulation the employee ownership community has sought since ESOPs were first created in 1974. The regulation will clearly define Adequate Consideration under Section 408(e) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), something The ESOP Association has long fought for.
May. 01
One of the key things needed for effective advocacy is a considered and well-thought-out agenda. Over the past year, The ESOP Association’s Public Policy Council (PPC), first constituted in 2021, has been engaged in an organization-wide effort to identify and expand on our agenda. Input from TEA members was solicited online, via town halls at TEA conferences, at chapter events, and through TEA’s Public Policy Council. We are pleased to now release the results of this process.
Chapter News, Resource
May. 31
Chapter ESOP Company of the Year; Chapter Employee Owner of the Year.
ESOP Blog, Resource
May. 18
On May 10, the prestigious Aspen Institute held a panel discussion on employee ownership that was attended by individuals and groups involved in policy making and thought leadership. The ESOP Association assisted in gathering potential speakers.
The event featured a visit from Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN), and a four-person panel representing corporate members of The ESOP Association. The panelists included:
The event featured a visit from Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN), and a four-person panel representing corporate members of The ESOP Association. The panelists included:
Resource, Press Releases
May. 11
The ESOP Association celebrates a new law that will help businesses better understand and pursue options for becoming employee owned. The law—the Main Street Employee Ownership Act—seeks to make better use of existing programs offered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to companies considering an employee owned model, such as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
Resource, ESOP Report, Legal Update, Ownership Advantage, Washington Report, President's Page, ESOP Communication Committee, Fitz-Gerald
May. 01
One ESOP bill passes in the House, another is introduced in the Senate.
Jan. 18
A nationwide grassroots effort stops a push to limit the tax benefits of S corporations sponsoring ESOPs. Instead, Congress approves an initiative sponsored by The ESOP Association to expand the tax deduction paid on ESOP stock. Various pro-ESOP proposals become law upon enactment of the popular ERISA reform legislation. Notably, 80 percent of the members of key tax committees in the House and Senate take public positions in support of ESOPs.