This bill significantly modifies the premerger notification requirements under the Clayton Act concerning acquisitions of residential property. It mandates that all residential property acquisitions made by a single person within a calendar year are to be treated as a single acquisition for reporting purposes. This means that notification to federal antitrust agencies is triggered when the cumulative value of these acquisitions reaches the established thresholds, rather than on individual transactions. Furthermore, the legislation amends existing exemptions, removing them for transactions that include residential property or investment rental property , including those held by real estate investment trusts, unless the property is solely for an individual's personal use. The Federal Trade Commission, in concurrence with the Assistant Attorney General, is directed to amend relevant regulations and issue new rules to specify the information and documentation required for these aggregated acquisitions, ensuring proper antitrust review.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Commerce
HART Act
USA119th CongressS-1796| Senate
| Updated: 5/15/2025
This bill significantly modifies the premerger notification requirements under the Clayton Act concerning acquisitions of residential property. It mandates that all residential property acquisitions made by a single person within a calendar year are to be treated as a single acquisition for reporting purposes. This means that notification to federal antitrust agencies is triggered when the cumulative value of these acquisitions reaches the established thresholds, rather than on individual transactions. Furthermore, the legislation amends existing exemptions, removing them for transactions that include residential property or investment rental property , including those held by real estate investment trusts, unless the property is solely for an individual's personal use. The Federal Trade Commission, in concurrence with the Assistant Attorney General, is directed to amend relevant regulations and issue new rules to specify the information and documentation required for these aggregated acquisitions, ensuring proper antitrust review.