DOL Schedules Valuation Regulations for November 2026

The US Department of Labor (DOL) released its 2026 rule list, which states that it will issue ESOP valuation regulations in November 2026. The regulations are required by the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. The DOL issued proposed regulations in December 2025, but they were rescinded along with all other pending regulations when the new administration took office the next month. 

There have never been final regulations on ESOP valuations (only proposed regulations issued in 1988, which were widely used as guidance but never finalized, and the proposed regulations from 2025); this has caused inconsistencies and uncertainty over how valuations should be done. The new administration has consistently expressed its support for ESOPs, so many ESOP advocates expect the new regulations to be less restrictive than the proposed regulations issued in December.

If the regulations do come out in November, it will still be at least several months before they take effect. First, there would have to be a comment period, followed by potential revisions to the regulations. In the past, schedules for issuing proposed regulations like these have often been pushed forward as well.