Senate, Aiming At Big Tech, Passes Bill To Strengthen State Antitrust Enforcement

On June 14, 2022, the Senate passed a bill designed to give greater enforcement power to state attorneys general who bring suit under federal antitrust law. The State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent and now heads to a vote in the House, where it has already cleared committee. If passed, it will mark the first successful step in a broader bipartisan effort by lawmakers to introduce antitrust reform legislation aimed at regulating large technology companies.

As described in a prior Competition Corner post, if enacted, the bill will prevent the transfer and consolidation of suits brought by state attorneys general under federal antitrust law—an exception to the multidistrict litigation (MDL) rules that already exempt certain antitrust actions brought by the federal government.