WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Mike Carey (R-Ohio-15) and Greg Landsman (D-Ohio-01) reintroduced the New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self-Sufficiency (NO BOSS) Act to support individuals as they pursue small business ownership. The bill makes improvements to the underutilized Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) Program, making state participation less onerous and encouraging greater participation.
“Small businesses and pioneering entrepreneurs are the engine of our economy, but making the leap from unemployment to self-employment is risky,” Rep. Carey said. “Americans shouldn’t be forced to choose between unemployment insurance and working on their next big idea. This bill makes it easier to start and sustain a small business, and I am proud to once again lead this effort.”
“This is a real unique opportunity to help unemployed individuals start a business with dignity. By making commonsense changes to the program, we can empower entrepreneurship and give people who are passionate about building a business the support they need to make it a reality,” Rep. Landsman said.
“Building a business today means keeping up with constant change, from AI reshaping industries to customers expecting everything to be digital-first,” Alexandra Clark, Shopify Vice President of Public Affairs, said. “The hard part isn’t coming up with an idea, it’s having the support and confidence to actually start. Policies like the NO BOSS Act will help more aspiring entrepreneurs bet on themselves and make being their own boss a first choice, not a fallback.”
“Research shows that entrepreneurs and the companies they create remain the primary engines of innovation, economic dynamism, and virtually all net new job creation, making it more important than ever to align policies like unemployment insurance with the needs of a modern, entrepreneurial economy. I thank Rep. Carey for his leadership and vision to modernize UI in support of America’s entrepreneurial spirit through the NO BOSS Act,” John Dearie of the Center for American Entrepreneurship said.
“The NO BOSS Act is a commonsense proposal that empowers workers, improves our social safety net, and creates new opportunities. While self-employment rates and business start up rates remain lower than they were 30 years ago, the post-pandemic period has seen a movement towards more people pursuing their dreams and starting new businesses. This proposal can help the nation continue this positive momentum. The R Street Institute is pleased to support it,” Eli Lehrer of the R Street Institute said.
“Emerging technologies are making it easier than ever for individuals to strike out on their own and realize the American dream of starting up a business. The NO BOSS Act will help ease restrictions that are inhibiting people from seizing on new innovations to bet on themselves and harness the American entrepreneurial spirit” Luke Hogg of the Foundation for American Innovation said.
“New business applications are at record levels, but unfortunately many individuals do not take the next step to fully launch a business due to barriers and restrictions that prevent them from pursuing this productive path. The ‘New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self-Sufficiency Act’ (NO BOSS Act) provides practical help by modifying federal rules governing the state administration of self-employment programs to allow individuals to utilize those resources to start a business rather than being restricted into finding a new job. In certain regions of the country, job availability may be more challenging and perhaps new business startups and entrepreneurship could be an economic godsend for these areas and the families that reside there. The bipartisan NO BOSS Act is a smart policy solution that will turn the difficulty of a layoff into entrepreneurial opportunity for more Americans. The approach, which has been piloted in certain states, supports economic development and entrepreneurial choice, and will help individuals achieve financial stability and fulfillment through business ownership. The NO BOSS Act is a win-win-win for local economies, the broader U.S. economy, and for individuals who want more flexibility and choice in pursuing their next career path. We are grateful for the leadership of Rep. Mike Carey and Rep. Greg Landsman on this important legislation,” Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, said.
BACKGROUND:
The SEA Program is designed to encourage unemployed individuals to start their own businesses. Unlike traditional Unemployment Compensation (UC), SEA participants can receive weekly payments while getting their small business off the ground.
Only five states have active SEA programs for UC claimants as of 2025 (Delaware, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, and Oregon). As of 2022, Oregon and New York had the largest SEA programs with 390 and 1,005 participants, respectively.
The NO BOSS Act will improve use of the SEA program by making common-sense changes to the program, many modeled after the program’s highly successful implementation in Oregon.
The bill would remove the “likely to exhaust benefits” provision, which prevents many unemployed workers from participating in this program and implies that entrepreneurship should only be for those who are unlikely to find any other job.
Additionally, the legislation would clarify that a business plan and market feasibility study could serve as an alternative requirement to entrepreneurship training.
The bill also provides integrity guardrails to ensure those who have opted to submit a business plan and market feasibility study are meeting the required deadlines.
Lastly, the bill increases the participation cap from five percent to ten percent.
This bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Reps. Max Miller (R-Ohio-07), Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.-02), Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa-04), and Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas-01).
Reps. Carey and Landsman previously introduced the NO BOSS Act in the 118th Congress.
Full text of the NO BOSS Act is available here.
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