Sponsors (7)
The bill expands and standardizes access to entrepreneurial support for unemployed people and strengthens oversight, but increases administrative requirements and could raise program costs and eligibility uncertainty that may burden taxpayers, employers, and state agencies.
Unemployed individuals can access structured entrepreneurial training, counseling, and technical assistance to start businesses, increasing pathways to self-employment and potential income.
State governments receive federal guidance and a model list of qualifying activities and verification best practices, helping standardize implementation and support across states.
Program participants and State agencies gain clearer accountability and tracking through weekly certification requirements, which can improve program integrity and reduce fraud or misuse.
Removing the 'likely to exhaust' eligibility requirement may expand program enrollment and increase costs, risks shifting higher UI taxes to employers or greater burdens on taxpayers and UI trust funds.
Weekly certification imposes additional administrative burden on participants and State agencies, which could deter applicants, increase compliance costs, and strain agency resources.
Altering the statutory cap (replacement language unspecified) creates uncertainty and could either substantially expand or restrict access, complicating planning for States and applicants during the transition.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Replaces an "likely to exhaust" eligibility test with state‑approved entrepreneurial activities or approved business‑plan work, adds weekly certification, revises participant caps, and requires federal rules and guidance.
Removes the existing requirement that Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) participants must be likely to exhaust regular unemployment benefits and instead focuses eligibility on participation in state-approved SEA activities that promote entrepreneurship or are performed under an approved business plan and market feasibility study. It requires weekly participant certifications to a state agency, directs the Labor Secretary to issue regulations and guidance (including a model list of qualifying activities and verification best practices), adjusts the statutory cap on the number of participants, and delays the law's effectiveness until two years after enactment while allowing states to implement earlier.
Official title: New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self-Sufficiency Act
Introduced December 4, 2025 by Mike Carey · Last progress April 28, 2026