119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 5958
H.R. 5958 directs federal agencies—including the Small Business Administration, Department of Labor, Treasury, and Commerce—to develop programs and initiatives that support worker-owned cooperative businesses, which are companies majority-owned and controlled by their employees. The bill requires these agencies to review regulations that create barriers to forming cooperatives, facilitate access to capital, provide technical assistance, and conduct research on cooperative business effectiveness. The legislation establishes a United States Council on Worker Cooperatives, chaired by the Secretary of Labor, with representatives from six federal agencies tasked with developing a national strategy for cooperatives, identifying regulatory obstacles, and submitting annual progress reports to Congress over a 10-year period. Additionally, the bill expands and extends the Small Business Intermediary Lending Pilot Program for worker-owned cooperatives through 2036 and increases its funding from $20 million to $60 million, while requiring the Small Business Administration to develop educational materials available online and in multiple languages to raise awareness about the cooperative business model.