NCBA CLUSA Members Return to Capitol Hill During 2024 IMPACT Conference

NCBA CLUSA's Hike the Hill Volunteers posing for a photo with staff of Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez

On October 2, NCBA CLUSA co-op members from around the country gathered in Washington, DC, for the 2024 Co-op IMPACT Conference. As part of the conference, co-op advocates returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon, attending meetings in the House, Senate, and Agency offices to educate staff on co-op legislative prioritiesduring NCBA CLUSA's "Hike the Hill" event.

Eighty cooperators met with forty-two Congressional offices of members sitting on key committees such as the Small Business Committee, Ways and Means Committee, Agriculture Committee, Appropriations Committee, and beyond. Hike the Hill brought together various co-op sectors- finance, credit unions, agriculture, housing, health, food, purchasing, and co-op developers- to engage on a broad range of issues.  

Preservation of Cooperative Tax Status 

• Co-op businesses are inherently both locally owned and participatory, embodying a direct connection between member needs and the services provided. Because of this, cooperatives contribute directly to community vitality and stability, modeling equitable and inclusive economic practices. 

• Fair tax treatment of cooperative entities is an essential aspect of the cooperative model. Due to the unique community-first practices of co-op businesses, it is vitally important for Congress to preserve cooperative tax status.

• Extending the 199A deduction for cooperatives is crucial to continue creating resilient communities and a more equitable economy.

Increase Affordable Housing Through Cooperatives

• Limited Equity Cooperatives (LECs) and Resident Owned Communities (ROCs) are stable and effective forms of Shared Equity Housing that provide permanently affordable housing, ownership, and democratic control, particularly for limited-income residents

• To expand permanently affordable housing cooperatives, Congress should revitalize the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 213to support all kinds of housing cooperatives HUD should appoint a Special Assistant for Cooperative Housing as directed in the 1955 National Housing Act to provide the technical assistance and capacity for stakeholders in affordable housing cooperatives.

Honoring Congressional Intent by Fully Implementing the 2018 Main Street Employee Ownership Act

• As a generation of baby boomer small business owners nears retirement, half of the nation's small businesses are at risk of buyout or closure.  

• These businesses could convert to worker or consumer-owned cooperatives-a model that promotes local ownership and preserves the small businesses at the heart of local economies.  

• To assist with conversion to cooperatives, the Small Business Administration (SBA) should fully implement the spirit of the 2018 Main Street Employee Ownership Actby waiving the personal loan guarantee requirement for cooperatives under the SBA 7(a)-loan program.

Reauthorization of the 2024 Farm Bill 

• There is an opportunity for Congress to support cooperatives and ensure they continue to create jobs, preserve businesses, and promote local economic growth by swiftly reauthorizing the 2024 Farm Billand including the following priorities.

• Modernizing the Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program (RCDG). As the only federal program dedicated to advancing domestic cooperative businesses, the Rural Cooperative Development Grant program(RCDG) helps create and sustain vibrant rural communities.   

• Maintaining Affordable Energy Infrastructure Upgrades for Residents through improvements to the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP).

• Robust Investment in rural communities to support capacity building and locally-led economic development

• Supporting Food Co-ops and Local Producers through a Strong Nutrition Title 

• Bridging The Digital Divide by Expanding Broadband through Electric Cooperatives  

Supporting International Cooperative Development

• NCBA CLUSA works globallyto build resilient communities, create economic opportunities, and strengthen cooperatives.

• Support for USAID-administered programs like Feed the Future, Farmer-to-Farmer, and the Cooperative Development Program, along with USDA's Food for Peace and Food for Progress, in both Federal Appropriations and the Farm Bill empowers people to build shared prosperity and well-being while improving our national security through cooperatives.

Grassroots advocacy is a critical component of ensuring elected officials understand the most pressing issues impacting cooperatives. There are no better advocates for cooperatives than the member-owners doing the work within their communities. Hike the Hill allowed congressional offices to hear directly from their co-op constituents about the challenges cooperatives face, the benefits cooperatives bring to their communities, and how legislators can work with NCBA CLUSA to craft policy that promotes the development of cooperatives in the U.S. and internationally.  

Co-op member education left its footprint on the Hill and across many congressional offices. The work of these cooperators will pay dividends as NCBA CLUSA continues to advocate for cooperative priorities throughout the end of the year and into 2025.  

NCBA CLUSA's advocacy team encourages members and co-ops across the country to engage with the members of Congress, Senators, state legislators, and local policymakers, including inviting them to your co-op. Members can learn more about NCBA CLUSA's Advocacy Priorities hereor reach out to [email protected]with any questions about how you can become a co-op advocate at the federal, state, or local policy level.  

NCBA CLUSA's Hike the Hill Volunteers posing for a photo before meeting with staff from the House Ways and Means CommitteeNCBA CLUSA's Hike the Hill Volunteers posing for a photo in front of the U.S. Capitol Building

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