We’re thrilled to share that the bipartisan American Ownership and Resilience Act (AORA) was introduced on May 7th, 2025. This proposed legislation would bolster U.S. economic stability by promoting the expansion of employee ownership. If passed, AORA would help specialized employee ownership funds grow faster, to help them transition more businesses to employee ownership, especially during this important Silver Tsunami window. AORA would establish a zero-subsidy investment facility within the Department of Commerce to support private institutional funding to finance the sale of privately held businesses to their employees via an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) or worker cooperative. These long-term, fixed-rate loans to Ownership Investment Companies would complement their private funding, helping them establish, expand, and support small to mid-sized employee-owned businesses.

We are grateful to the bipartisan group of legislators who are championing this legislation, as well as their staff: Senators Chris Van Hollen, Jerry Moran, Todd Young, Tammy Baldwin, Eric Schmitt, Jeanne Shaheen, and Peter Welch, alongside Representatives Blake Moore, Lori Trahan, Dusty Johnson, Bill Foster, and Mike Baumgartner. 

As we celebrate the introduction of AORA, we want to share deep appreciation for Jack Moriarty, Executive Director of Lafayette Square Institute and for leading this effort, as well numerous organizations nationwide—including The ESOP Association, Sorenson Impact, the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, New American Industrial Alliance, and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, among countless others. 

This legislation demonstrates one example of scalable capital sources that can help employee ownership grow. Government frequently plays important roles in scaling strategies that create positive benefits. This bill would accomplish this without taxpayers subsidizing it – another example of how employee ownership is win-win-win!

We cannot wait to see how this piece of legislation moves forward, and promise to keep you posted!