S. 2403Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)Passed Congress

Retire through Ownership Act

Introduced July 23, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated September 23, 2026 at 6:50 AM UTC

The Retire through Ownership Act updates the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to clarify what counts as “adequate consideration” when a company’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) acquires closely held stock. It lets plan fiduciaries rely in good faith on valuations from independent experts who follow IRS Revenue Ruling 59‑60 methods, and it makes clear that this change does not limit the Secretary of Labor’s regulatory power or alter fiduciary duties under ERISA.

Key Provisions

  • Amends ERISA’s definition of adequate consideration to add a new sub‑clause allowing fiduciaries of ESOPs to rely on valuations performed by independent valuation experts or business appraisers using IRS Revenue Ruling 59‑60 methodology.
  • Specifies that this new reliance provision does not prevent the Secretary of Labor from issuing regulations interpreting the definition, does not expand the Secretary’s authority beyond what existed before the Act, and does not change fiduciaries’ obligations under ERISA section 404.
  • Sets the effective date so that the amended definition applies to any adequate‑consideration determinations made on or after the law’s enactment.

Legislative Activity

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16 earlier actions
HouseFloor Latest Action

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

September 16, 2026 • 7:05 PM

View full timeline
SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

July 23, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

July 23, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

July 30, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

September 11, 2025

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 158.

September 11, 2025

SenateFloor

Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7103; text: CR S7103)

October 9, 2025

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

October 16, 2025

HouseFloor

Received in the House.

October 17, 2025 • 2:02 PM

HouseFloor

Held at the desk.

October 17, 2025 • 2:23 PM

HouseFloor

Mr. Walberg moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

September 16, 2026 • 12:23 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules.

September 16, 2026 • 12:23 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2403.

September 16, 2026 • 12:23 PM

HouseFloor

At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

September 16, 2026 • 12:34 PM

HouseFloor

Considered as unfinished business.

September 16, 2026 • 6:59 PM

SenateFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 401 - 14 (Roll no. 314).

September 16, 2026 • 7:05 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 401 - 14 (Roll no. 314).

September 16, 2026 • 7:05 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

September 16, 2026 • 7:05 PM

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 2403 on the floor

1 Republican
John Hoeven
Sen. John HoevenR-ND · Oct 9, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 158, S. 2403. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be…

Bill Text

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Enrolled BillPublication date not provided

One Hundred Nineteenth Congress of the United States of America

2d Session

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Saturday, the third day of January, two thousand and twenty six

S. 2403

AN ACT

To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to provide a clear definition of adequate consideration for certain closely held stock, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Retire through Ownership Act.

2.

Amending adequate consideration definition

(a)

In General

Section 3(18) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1002(18)) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) and (II), respectively;

(2)

by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively;

(3)

by inserting (A) before The term; and

(4)

by adding at the end the following:

(B)
(i)

For purposes of clause (ii) of subparagraph (A), a fiduciary of an employee stock ownership plan (as defined in section 407(d)(6)) may make a good faith reliance on a valuation provided by an independent valuation expert or business appraiser that has relied upon the principles and methodologies set forth in Internal Revenue Service Revenue Ruling 59–60 (as amplified and modified by the Internal Revenue Service from time to time) in determining the fair market value of an asset described in such clause.

(ii)

Clause (i) shall not be interpreted to—

(I)

preclude the Secretary from promulgating, in accordance with section 553 of title 5, United States Code, any regulation interpreting such clause;

(II)

expand the regulatory authority of the Secretary with respect to the term adequate consideration beyond such authority available to the Secretary on the day before the date of enactment of the Retire through Ownership Act; or

(III)

modify a fiduciary's obligations under section 404.

.

(b)

Effective Date

The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to determinations described in section 3(18)(B) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1002(18)(B)) (as added by such subsection) that are made on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate