CFTC Office of the Chief Economist Act of 2026

This bill establishes a new Office of the Chief Economist within the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This office will be headed by a Chief Economist whose primary functions include serving as an economic advisor to the Commission, conducting economic analysis, performing regulatory cost-benefit analysis, and engaging in research. The legislation grants the Commission specific authority to appoint professional staff, such as economists, research analysts, and data specialists, to this office using excepted service rules, even for positions typically in the competitive service, provided they serve the Office of the Chief Economist and meet specific expertise requirements. Additionally, the bill includes conforming amendments to the Commodity Exchange Act. These amendments require the CFTC's general counsel to coordinate with the new office for legal analyses and broaden the scope of market analysis from "futures markets" to all "markets under the jurisdiction of the Commission," while also adding "considerations of market liquidity" as a factor for the Commission.