When it comes to Congress, the old saying is true: It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

But as we enter the final five months of the 119th Congress, the marathon is quickly becoming a sprint.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted July 30 to approve $78 million in mandatory funding for the Department of Labor’s Employee Ownership Initiative (EOI).

What is the Retire Through Ownership Act?

The Retire Through Ownership Act (RTOA) amends ERISA’s definition of “adequate consideration” to clarify that ESOP fiduciaries may rely in good faith on independent valuations based on IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60.

On Thursday, October 15, the Retire Through Ownership Act was signed by President Trump and became law. This was a great victory for employee owners, current and future ESOPs, fiduciaries, and professional advisors.

The ESOP Association’s Advocacy Academy and ESOP Advocacy Day brought together a record-setting group of employee ownership advocates for two days of training, storytelling, and direct advocacy on Capitol Hill.

ESOP Advocacy Day brought employee owners and ESOP professionals to Capitol Hill with one clear message: ESOPs help workers, businesses, and communities thrive. The meetings in Washington were powerful, but advocacy does not have to end when volunteers leave DC.

Nationally Recognized Speaker Engages Capacity Crowd on Election Outlook

One of the most anticipated events held during National Conference is the annual ESOP PAC Breakfast.

Welcome to Volume 41, Issue 5 of the ESOP Report This month we've packed the report with tons of articles and news about ESOPs that you won't want to miss!

Inside this Issue:

• TEA’s National Conference 2026: Building Momentum and Energy Across Policy, Leadership, and Culture
• The Dawn of an ESOP Renaissa