Congress·Reported·H.R. 5169

Retire through Ownership Act

Retirement Rules for Employee-Owned Businesses

Jan 14·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: The HouseNo action in 6 months

This bill has been approved by its committee and is now waiting for a vote by the full House of Representatives. No action has been taken on the bill since January 2026, which means it has been stalled for about five months. House leaders must decide to schedule a floor vote for the bill to move forward.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Likely to pass

The bill has bipartisan support and has already successfully moved through the committee process, which is a major hurdle for most legislation.

Key Points

This bill makes it easier for business owners to sell their companies to their employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. It creates clear rules for how to decide what the company stock is worth so that owners and workers are treated fairly.
The policy allows the people in charge of these retirement plans to rely on professional appraisers. As long as the appraiser uses standard IRS methods and acts in good faith, the plan managers are protected from certain legal penalties regarding the stock price.
This change addresses a long-standing problem where business owners were afraid to start employee ownership plans because the government had not provided clear instructions on how to value private company stock.
By providing a clear roadmap for valuing a business, the bill aims to help more workers build wealth through ownership in the companies where they work. It does not change the basic duty of plan managers to act in the best interest of the workers.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

3 milestones6 actions

Jan 14, 2026House

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 383.

The bill is now on the schedule for the full chamber to consider. It's in line for debate and a vote.

Jan 14, 2026House

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-448.

Sep 17, 2025House

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 35 - 0.

The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.

Sep 17, 2025House

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Sep 8, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

No votes or news coverage recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Retire through Ownership Act

Bill NumberHR 5169

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionPlaced on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 383.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(4)

D: 1R: 3

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.