HR 6431 · New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self-Sufficiency Act
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Introduced
- Dec 4, 2025
- Latest action
- Apr 28, 2026
- Sponsor
- Rep. Mike Carey [R-OH-15]
- Policy area
- Taxation
- Cosponsors
- 6
Summary
New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self-Sufficiency Act This bill increases the percentage of individuals who may participate in a Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) program, generally expands eligibility for such programs, and modifies certain SEA program requirements. As background, an SEA program provides an individual with an SEA allowance, rather than regular unemployment compensation benefits, if such individual is (1) eligible for unemployment compensation benefits and identified as likely to exhaust such benefits, (2) participating in self-employment assistance activities which include entrepreneurial training, business counseling, and technical assistance and are approved by the state, and (3) working full-time on establishing a business and becoming self-employed. Under current law, the number of individuals participating in an SEA program may not exceed 5% of the individuals receiving regular unemployment compensation benefits in the state. The bill increases the percentage of individuals who may participate in a state SEA program to 10%, eliminates the requirement that an individual be determined likely to exhaust unemployment compensation benefits (generally expanding individual eligibility for an SEA program), and requires individuals to certify (at least weekly) that they are working full-time on establishing a business and becoming self-employed. Finally, the bill allows individuals to meet the requirement to participate in state-approved self-employment assistance activities if such activities either (1) include entrepreneurial training, business counseling, and technical assistance (permitted under current law); or (2) are performed pursuant to a state-approved business plan and market feasibility study.
Recent actions
- Apr 28, 2026 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Apr 27, 2026 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Apr 27, 2026 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3114)
- Apr 27, 2026 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3114)
- Apr 27, 2026 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6431.
- Apr 27, 2026 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3114-3115)
- Apr 27, 2026 Mr. Carey moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Feb 20, 2026 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 435.
Votes
No recorded votes are available for this bill.