What This Bill Does
The Main Street Competes Act would amend the Small Business Economic Policy Act of 1980 to make federal antitrust enforcement a formal part of the government’s small-business policy. It requires the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to report on how their antitrust work affects small businesses, including complaints, investigations, enforcement actions, and illegal mergers. The bill also directs the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy to analyze those reports and send Congress recommendations. There is no direct spending amount or grant program in the bill; its main mechanism is new reporting and analysis requirements.
- Amends the Small Business Economic Policy Act of 1980, section 302(a), to add competition policy language.
- Requires DOJ and FTC to report on small-business antitrust complaints and enforcement actions.
- First report is due 180 days after the end of the fiscal year in which the Act is enacted.
- Office of Advocacy must send Congress its own report within 180 days after receiving the agency reports.
- Defines “Federal antitrust laws” to include Clayton Act antitrust laws and FTC Act section 5 unfair methods of competition.
Who This Bill Affects
For the general public, the bill would not directly change taxes, benefits, or eligibility rules. Its practical effect would be to require DOJ, FTC, and the SBA to produce regular reports on how antitrust enforcement affects small businesses, which could eventually influence enforcement priorities or future legislation. Small-business owners are the most directly affected group because the reports focus on complaints, investigations, and mergers that may harm their ability to compete.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisWho Supports & Opposes This
- small-business owners They may see the bill as a way to make federal antitrust enforcement more attentive to the harms they face from dominant firms, exclusionary conduct, and mergers that reduce local competition. The required reporting could make it easier to document patterns that are otherwise scattered across agencies.
- competition-policy advocates They are likely to support the bill because it creates a clearer feedback loop between antitrust enforcement and small-business outcomes. By requiring DOJ and FTC to quantify complaints, investigations, and actions, the bill could improve transparency and accountability.
- local entrepreneurs and start-ups New and growing firms often depend on fair access to customers, suppliers, and markets. Supporters can argue that the bill helps ensure federal policy recognizes how anticompetitive conduct can block entry and slow business growth.
- federal antitrust agencies DOJ and FTC staff may object that the bill adds recurring reporting duties and data-collection burdens without giving them new resources or enforcement tools. They may also argue that the required breakdowns could be administratively complex.
- large firms and industry groups Some businesses may worry the bill signals a more aggressive antitrust posture and could encourage more complaints or scrutiny of mergers. They may argue that the reporting requirements could be used to justify broader enforcement even where conduct is lawful.
- administrative-process skeptics Critics may say the bill is mostly procedural and may not directly help small businesses unless Congress or the agencies act on the reports. They could view it as adding paperwork rather than solving underlying market concentration problems.
Key Implications
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““promote competitive markets, consumer choice, and business ownership””
This language broadens the stated purpose of federal small-business policy. It signals that competition enforcement is being treated as part of the government’s small-business agenda, not just a separate antitrust issue.
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““Not later than 180 days after the end of the fiscal year””
The bill sets a firm deadline for the first agency reports. That means DOJ and FTC would need to track and compile small-business-related antitrust data on a recurring schedule.
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““the number of complaints of alleged antitrust violations filed by self-identified small businesses””
The agencies would have to count and categorize complaints from businesses identifying themselves as small. That could improve visibility into how often small firms seek antitrust help and what kinds of conduct they report.
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““illegal mergers, that harms small businesses and the growth of small businesses””
The bill specifically highlights mergers as a concern, not just conduct by dominant firms. In practice, that points to consolidation as a possible threat to local competition and business expansion.
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““section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act ... unfair methods of competition””
The definition of federal antitrust laws is broadened to include FTC Act section 5 for unfair competition. That matters because it makes the reporting framework cover a wider range of competition enforcement than the Clayton Act alone.
Latest Status
June 3, 2026
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 595.
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