Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) Program

Current understanding

To be populated as evidence accumulates.

2026-06-25 — Prison to Proprietorship Act: cross-connection with returning-citizens-employment-access: Prison to Proprietorship Act links reentry employment supports with self-employment/entrepreneurship pathways for formerly incarcerated individuals. (novelty: 2)
2026-04-28 — New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self-Sufficiency Act: HR6431 (New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self-Sufficiency Act) introduced: raises state SEA participation cap from 5% to 10% of regular UI claimants, eliminates the ‘likely to exhaust benefits’ eligibility screen, requires weekly full-time business-startup certification, and allows a state-approved business plan plus market feasibility study to satisfy the self-employment assistance activities requirement. (novelty: 2)