S. 2039 · 117th Congress
Tougher Enforcement Against Monopolists Act
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 117th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
1 cosponsor · 1 R
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill makes various changes with respect to the enforcement of federal antitrust laws.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Jun 14, 2021
Tougher Enforcement Against Monopolists Act or the TEAM Act
This bill makes various changes with respect to the enforcement of federal antitrust laws.
Specifically, the bill consolidates antitrust enforcement authority in one agency by transferring all Federal Trade Commission (FTC) antitrust functions, employees, assets, and funding to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The bill also transfers to DOJ the responsibility for reviewing specified communications transactions that is currently the duty of the Federal Communications Commission.
Additionally, the bill modifies and expands the schedule for graduated merger filing fees and requires that such fees be adjusted each year based on the U.S. Gross National Product. The bill also establishes certain presumptions that a merger substantially lessens competition under specified circumstances, and it revises the premerger notification requirements.
The bill further requires the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget, in reviewing a significant regulatory action of an agency, to submit an impact statement to the agency identifying how the regulatory action may impact competition in the market to which the regulation applies.
The bill grants antitrust immunity to state occupational licensing boards in states that satisfy specified occupational licensing law requirements. To meet these requirements a state must either (1) adopt certain licensing policies and actively supervise such boards, or (2) provide for judicial review of occupational licensing laws.
Finally, the bill makes other modifications to antitrust enforcement such as (1) permitting DOJ to recover triple damages in actions brought on behalf of consumers, and (2) providing for civil fines for knowing violations of antitrust laws.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: TEAM Act
Latest action (Jun 14, 2021): Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S4519-4520)
Policy area: Commerce · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Jun 14, 2021
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.