IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1174 

Expressing support for the designation of October 2020 as ‘‘National CoOp Month’’ and commending the cooperative business model and the 

member-owners, businesses, employees, farmers, ranchers, and practitioners that use the cooperative business model to positively impact 

the economy and society. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 1, 2020 

Mr. POCAN (for himself, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. CASE, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KIND, Mr. 

SAN NICOLAS, and Mr. WELCH) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of October 2020 as 

‘‘National Co-Op Month’’ and commending the cooperative business model and the member-owners, businesses, 

employees, farmers, ranchers, and practitioners that use 

the cooperative business model to positively impact the 

economy and society. 

Whereas during the global COVID–19 pandemic, cooperatives 

have taken extraordinary steps to serve their memberowners and communities; 

Whereas a cooperative— 

(1) is a business that is owned and governed by its 

members, who are the individuals who use the business, 


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•HRES 1174 IH 

create the products of the business, or manage the operation of the business; and 

(2) operates under the 7 principles of— 

(A) voluntary open membership; 

(B) democratic control; 

(C) owner economic participation; 

(D) autonomy and independence; 

(E) education, training, and information; 

(F) cooperation among cooperatives; and 

(G) concern for community; 

Whereas cooperative entrepreneurs can be found in almost 

every economic sector in the United States, throughout 

all 50 States and territories, and every congressional district in the United States; 

Whereas cooperatives help farmers increase incomes and become more resilient to economic business cycles by working together to plan and prepare for the future, while 

contributing significantly to the economic activity in the 

United States agriculture and food markets; 

Whereas the roughly 1,800 agricultural cooperatives in America operate more than 8,000 facilities, employ $96 billion 

in assets, and generate nearly $204 billion in business; 

Whereas the majority of America’s 2 million farmers belong 

to an agricultural cooperative; 

Whereas agricultural cooperatives offer members the opportunity to tap into the commodity value-added profits 

throughout the handling, processing, and distribution 

chains; 

Whereas member owners in agricultural cooperatives are 

dedicated to providing the highest quality product for 

consumers; 


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Whereas agricultural cooperatives add significant benefits to 

the economic well-being of rural America by providing 

over 250,000 jobs with annual wages totaling over $8 billion; 

Whereas agricultural cooperatives provide resources such as 

low-cost supplies, effective marketing, and services to 

their member-owners; 

Whereas farmer members in agricultural cooperatives have 

the opportunity to pool resources and reinvest profits into 

its members’ communities; 

Whereas the principles of cooperation and the cooperative 

business model help smallholder farmers organize themselves and gain access to local and global markets, training, improved inputs, and aggregated sales and marketing; 

Whereas the cooperative business model provides farmers 

ownership over their economic decisions, a focus on learning, and a broader understanding of environmental and 

social concerns; 

Whereas the cooperative business model has been used 

throughout American history to advance civil rights and 

to help ensure that all people have equal access to economic opportunity; 

Whereas cooperative values promote self-determination and 

democratic rights for all people; 

Whereas the comprehensive global food security strategy established under section 5 of the Global Food Security Act 

of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9304) (commonly known as ‘‘Feed 

the Future’’) and the Cooperative Development Program 

of the United States Agency for International Development use cooperative principles and the cooperative busiVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:02 Oct 03, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1174.IH HR1174

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ness model to advance international development, nutrition, resilience, and economic security; 

Whereas the Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development— 

(1) is an interagency group that is coordinated and 

chaired by the Secretary of Agriculture to foster cooperative development and ensure coordination with Federal 

agencies and national and local cooperative organizations 

that have cooperative programs and interests; and 

(2) as of the date of introduction of this resolution, 

had organized 4 meetings; 

Whereas the bipartisan Congressional Cooperative Business 

Caucus unites Members of Congress to— 

(1) create a better informed electorate and a more 

educated public on the important role that cooperatives 

play in the economy of the United States and the world; 

(2) promote the cooperative business model, because 

that model ensures that consumers have access to highquality goods and services at competitive prices and costs 

that improve the lives of individuals, families, and their 

communities; and 

(3) address and correct awareness challenges among 

the public and within the Federal Government relating to 

what cooperatives look like, who participates in cooperatives, where cooperatives are located, and why individuals 

choose cooperatives; 

Whereas the Bureau of the Census, as part of the 2017 Economic Census, asked each business if the business was 

organized as a cooperative, and the responses of businesses yielded both quantitative and qualitative data on 

the effects and importance of cooperatives across the 

economy of the United States; 


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Whereas throughout the rural United States, many utility 

services providers operate as cooperatives and are tasked 

with the delivery of public services such as electricity, 

water, telecommunications, and broadband in areas where 

investor-owned utility companies typically do not operate; 

Whereas utility cooperatives have innovated to meet evolving 

needs of their member-owners and help rural individuals 

in the United States prosper; 

Whereas in the financial services sector, cooperatives, including credit unions, farm credit banks, and other financing 

organizations that lend to cooperatives, provide numerous 

benefits to the member-owners of those cooperatives; 

Whereas member-owners of cooperatives vote in board elections, and earned profits cycle back into cost-saving programs or return as dividend payments; 

Whereas purchasing and shared service cooperatives allow 

independent and franchise businesses to thrive; 

Whereas food cooperatives range in size from small, local 

buying clubs to multistore regional giants that compete 

with chain stores with locations across the United States; 

Whereas in the housing sector, housing cooperatives and resident-owned communities in which members own the 

building or land— 

(1) are an alternative to conventional rental apartments, manufactured home parks, and condominiums; 

and 

(2) empower each resident with ownership and responsibility; 

Whereas housing cooperatives have roots dating to the late 

1800s and are increasingly becoming a housing alterVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:02 Oct 03, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1174.IH HR1174

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native for students at colleges throughout the United 

States; 

Whereas shared equity housing cooperatives are a critical option for preserving long-term, affordable housing; 

Whereas cooperatives allow residents of manufactured home 

communities to collectively purchase the land on which 

they live, providing stability and the opportunity to selfgovern; 

Whereas, as of 2019, not less than 1,000 manufactured home 

communities were resident owned, accounting for approximately 2 percent of all manufactured home communities; 

Whereas the growth of worker cooperatives in the United 

States is allowing more workers to own and have greater 

control over their businesses; 

Whereas many small businesses convert to cooperatives when 

faced with closure or buyout, ensuring the business can 

continue to serve its community; and 

Whereas the cooperative business model allows business owners to retire and transfer business ownership to employees or consumers, protecting local ownership and supporting local communities: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses support for the designation of 

3 ‘‘National Co-Op Month’’; 

4 (2) commends the cooperative business model 

5 for— 

6 (A) its contributions to the economy; 

7 (B) the jobs it creates; and 


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1 (C) its positive impacts on local commu2 nities; 

3 (3) expresses confidence in, and support for, co4 operatives to continue their successes; 

5 (4) will seek to pass legislation that provides for 

6 studying, supporting, encouraging, and promoting 

7 the use of the cooperative business model across all 

8 policy areas; and 

9 (5) will be mindful in crafting legislation that 

10 affects business models that are not the cooperative 

11 business model so that the legislation does not ad12 versely affect the cooperative business model. 

Æ 


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