This bill expands the national small business policy to prioritize federal antitrust enforcement against anticompetitive conduct harming small businesses and requires regular reporting on these enforcement actions.
Hillary Scholten
Representative
MI-3
The Main Street Competes Act expands federal economic policy to prioritize competitive markets and consumer choice through antitrust enforcement that protects small businesses. It mandates regular, detailed reporting from the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission on how their antitrust actions specifically impact small businesses. Finally, the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy will analyze this data and report recommendations to Congress on promoting competition.
Main Street Competes Act Mandates Federal Oversight of Antitrust Impact on Small Businesses Starting in 2025
The Main Street Competes Act is a new push to make sure the 'big guys' aren't using illegal mergers or shady business tactics to squeeze out your local independent shops. It officially updates federal policy to state that antitrust enforcement—the laws that keep monopolies in check—must be used specifically to protect small business growth and consumer choice. Think of it as a formal reminder to the government that a healthy economy isn't just about the Fortune 500; it’s about making sure the local hardware store or the independent software dev firm has a fair shot at winning your business.
Opening the Books on Big Business
To make sure this isn't just talk, the bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to start a paper trail. Every two years, starting 180 days after the act passes, these agencies have to hand over a detailed report to the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. They can’t just say they’re doing a good job; they have to list the actual number of complaints they received from small businesses, what laws were allegedly broken, and exactly what they did about it. For a local independent pharmacy struggling against a massive national chain’s pricing tactics, this means there’s now a specific mechanism to track whether their complaints are being buried or actually investigated (Section 3).
From Data to Action
Once the DOJ and FTC hand over their homework, the SBA’s Chief Counsel for Advocacy has 180 days to analyze the data and report back to Congress. This isn’t just a summary; the bill requires an industry-by-industry breakdown of where small businesses are getting hurt by anticompetitive conduct. For example, if the data shows a spike in illegal mergers in the construction supply sector that’s driving up costs for independent contractors, the SBA is tasked with recommending specific legislative or administrative fixes to stop it. It turns anecdotal 'Main Street' struggles into hard data that lawmakers can use to tweak the rules of the game.
Why the Fine Print Matters
The bill uses a broad definition of 'antitrust violation,' covering everything from the Clayton Act to the FTC Act’s rules on unfair competition. By explicitly linking these high-level legal tools to the 'small business concern' definition used by the SBA, the legislation ensures that the protections apply to the businesses we actually interact with daily. While it doesn't automatically break up any companies today, it creates a recurring spotlight on how federal power is—or isn't—being used to keep the marketplace open for the little guy. It’s a move toward transparency that asks a simple question: is the government doing enough to keep competition alive?