Opening Worker-Ownership: A New Economic Resilience Strategy (OWNERS) Amendment Act of 2025

This bill requires the District of Columbia's Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) to survey local businesses and develop a city-wide strategy to help owners transition their businesses to worker cooperatives - where employees become owners - particularly when owners retire or seek succession. It directly affects small businesses (58% close within 5 years) by creating a structured pathway for cooperative conversions, which studies show have higher survival rates (90% after 5 years vs. 3-5% for traditional businesses). The key mechanism is a DLCP-led initiative to identify at-risk businesses and co-create support systems, including outreach to communities with unmet needs like grocery access or childcare. This policy change mandates a new DLCP program focused on economic resilience through worker ownership, without altering existing business regulations.