Consolidation Prevention and Competition Promotion Act of 2019
This bill amends the Clayton Act to revise merger requirements. Specifically, the bill
prohibits a merger that materially (currently, substantially) lessens competition in more than a de minimis amount or tends to create a monopsony (a market situation in which there is only one buyer);
shifts the burden of proof to the merging companies to show that their consolidation will not harm competition;
requires companies that enter into a settlement agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or Department of Justice regarding a merger to report information that allows the agencies to assess the competitive impact of the merger, and
establishes the Office of the Competition Advocate within the FTC.
Actions
Jan 31, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.