Bills in each house of the Texas legislature would provide the most comprehensive state effort yet on employee ownership. HB 1198 and SB 1650 would:

• Create contracting preferences at the state and local government levels;
• Expand the definition of Certified Historically Underutilized Business (primarily women- and minority-owned companies) to allow transition to an ESOP structure without forfeiting their HUB status;
• Allow ESOPs to own all or part of a professional corporation; and
• Create an Employee Ownership Assistance Office in the Office of the Governor.

Working with Certified EO, Hart wants to use the Texas model to start a national movement for state legislation.

Mike Hart ([email protected]) is the founder and board chair of EEA, an ESOP-owned Austin engineering company. Visit TexasESOP.org or contact Mike Hart to learn how to support the effort, and please share their website or this article with anyone who might be interested in calling Texas legislators or otherwise supporting the effort.

Attending the NCEO conference? Join a meeting about Texas and other state-level legislative initiatives at 10:30 on April 9. Contact Thomas Dudley ([email protected]) at Certified EO for details.