The Main Street Competes Act mandates that federal antitrust enforcement actively promote competitive markets and protect small businesses from anticompetitive conduct, requiring regular reports from the DOJ and FTC on their enforcement activities.
Hillary Scholten
Representative
MI-3
The Main Street Competes Act aims to strengthen the federal commitment to promoting competitive markets and consumer choice by explicitly including these goals in small business economic policy. It mandates that the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission regularly report on how their antitrust enforcement actions specifically impact small businesses. These reports will detail enforcement activities related to anticompetitive conduct and illegal mergers that harm small business growth.
Main Street Competes Act Mandates DOJ and FTC Tracking of Small Business Antitrust Complaints
The Main Street Competes Act is a move to give small business owners a seat at the table when it comes to federal antitrust enforcement. By amending the Small Business Economic Policy Act of 1980, the bill officially adds the promotion of competitive markets and consumer choice to the government's to-do list. It specifically targets anticompetitive conduct and illegal mergers that stifle the growth of independent shops and local services. For the person running a local hardware store or a boutique tech firm, this means the federal government is now legally obligated to prioritize a market where they can actually compete with the giants.
Opening the Books on Big Tech and Big Retail
Under Section 3 of the bill, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can no longer operate in a vacuum regarding small business concerns. Every two fiscal years, these agencies must hand over a detailed report to the Small Business Administration (SBA). They have to disclose exactly how many complaints they received from self-identified small businesses and, more importantly, what they actually did about them. This includes a breakdown of inquiries, investigations, and enforcement actions. If a local pharmacy group files a complaint about predatory pricing, there will now be a paper trail showing whether the feds took it seriously or let it gather dust.
From Data to Actionable Policy
Once the DOJ and FTC submit their data, the SBA’s Office of Advocacy takes the wheel. Within 180 days, they must analyze these reports and present their findings to the House and Senate Small Business Committees. This isn't just a summary; the bill requires the SBA to provide specific recommendations for both administrative and legislative changes. For a freelance graphic designer or a small construction contractor, this means their industry-specific struggles with market consolidation could lead directly to new laws or faster enforcement actions designed to level the playing field. It turns individual frustrations into a structured roadmap for policy reform.