Main Street Competes Act

The Main Street Competes Act aims to strengthen the focus on small business competitiveness within federal antitrust enforcement. It amends the Small Business Economic Policy Act of 1980 to explicitly declare that federal policy should promote competitive markets, consumer choice, and business ownership by enforcing antitrust laws against anticompetitive conduct and illegal mergers that harm small businesses and their growth. A key provision of the bill requires the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission , referred to as "specified entities," to submit biennial reports. These reports must detail how their antitrust enforcement activities promoted competition for small businesses, including the number of antitrust complaints filed by small businesses and the subsequent inquiries, investigations, and enforcement actions taken. This ensures transparency and accountability regarding the impact of antitrust efforts on the small business sector. Furthermore, the bill mandates that the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy compile and analyze these reports. The Office of Advocacy will then submit its own report to Congress, summarizing the findings, evaluating issues related to anticompetitive conduct affecting small businesses, and providing recommendations for both administrative and legislative actions to deter such conduct and foster small business growth.