Sponsors (3)
The bill strengthens antitrust focus and transparency to help small businesses and consumers at the cost of increased compliance burdens for firms and added administrative strain (and some information‑security risk) for federal agencies.
Small businesses nationwide will face stronger, prioritized antitrust enforcement plus clearer reporting on enforcement outcomes, improving their ability to compete, get remedies when harmed, and inform advocacy and policy responses.
Consumers may gain greater choice and potentially lower prices if reduced market concentration and anti‑competitive conduct result from enhanced enforcement.
Federal oversight and policymaking will improve: agencies are directed to prioritize antitrust harms to small firms, and the SBA Office of Advocacy must analyze data and transmit actionable recommendations to lawmakers and committees.
Firms involved in mergers or business combinations may face higher compliance and regulatory costs, slower or blocked transactions, and reduced exit or growth opportunities for some owners and investors.
Federal agencies (DOJ, FTC and related staff) will incur additional reporting and enforcement-priority workloads that could divert staff time and resources away from investigations or other programs.
Mandated reports could risk exposing sensitive investigatory information or internal priorities, complicating enforcement strategy and revealing strategic details.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Adds antitrust enforcement and competitive-market promotion to federal small-business policy and requires DOJ/FTC biennial reports on antitrust impacts to small businesses.
Amends the federal small business policy statement to explicitly add promoting competitive markets, consumer choice, and business ownership through enforcement of federal antitrust laws when anticompetitive conduct or illegal mergers harm small businesses. Requires the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to submit biennial reports to the SBA Office of Advocacy analyzing how antitrust enforcement promoted competition or remedied anticompetitive conduct affecting small businesses, including complaint and enforcement counts; the SBA Chief Counsel for Advocacy must summarize and transmit findings and recommendations to congressional small business committees.
Official title: To amend the Small Business Economic Policy Act of 1980 to examine how the competitiveness of small businesses is affected by the enforcement of Federal antitrust laws, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 19, 2026 by Hillary Scholten · Last progress June 24, 2026