H.R. 7036House116th Congress (2019-2021)Passed House

Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Permanent Extension Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 12:40 PM UTC

The bill makes permanent the Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act of 2004, which boosts criminal penalties and offers cooperation incentives for antitrust violations. By removing the law’s built‑in expiration, the enhanced penalties and cooperation provisions will continue indefinitely, affecting companies and individuals accused of price‑fixing, bid‑rigging, or market‑allocation schemes, as well as the Justice Department and private parties pursuing antitrust cases.

Key Provisions

Repeals the sunset provision (Section 211) of the 2004 Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act, making its provisions permanent.
Amends Section 212 of the same act by deleting paragraph (6) and renumbering the former paragraph (7) as the new paragraph (6) to align with the repeal.

Legislative Activity

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8 earlier actions

SenateCalendars Latest Action

Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 486.

June 29, 2020

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 27, 2020

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

May 27, 2020

HouseFloor

Mr. Nadler asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.

June 25, 2020 • 1:29 PM

HouseCommittee

Committee on the Judiciary discharged.

Judiciary Committee

June 25, 2020

HouseFloor

Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H2439)

June 25, 2020 • 1:29 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed without objection.(text: CR H2439)

June 25, 2020 • 1:30 PM

HouseFloor

On passage Passed without objection. (text: CR H2439)

June 25, 2020 • 1:30 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

June 25, 2020 • 1:30 PM

SenateCalendars

Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 486.

June 29, 2020

Bill Text

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Placed on Calendar SenateIssued June 29, 2020

Calendar No. 486

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 7036

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 29, 2020

Received; read twice and placed on the calendar

AN ACT

To amend the Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act of 2004 to repeal the sunset provision.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Permanent Extension Act.

Findings; purpose

(a)

Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

Conspiracies among competitors to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate markets are categorically and irredeemably anticompetitive and contravene the competition policy of the United States.

(2)

Cooperation incentives are important to the efforts of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice to prosecute and deter the offenses described in paragraph (1).

(b)

Purpose

The purpose of this Act, and the amendments made by this Act, is to strengthen public and private antitrust enforcement by providing incentives for antitrust violators to cooperate fully with government prosecutors and private litigants through the repeal of the sunset provision of the Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 1 note).

Repeal of sunset provision

(a)

In general

Section 211 of the Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 1 note) is repealed.

(b)

Technical and conforming amendments

Section 212 of the Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 1 note) is amended—

(1)

by striking paragraph (6); and

(2)

by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (6).

Passed the House of Representatives June 25, 2020.

Cheryl L. Johnson,

Clerk.

June 29, 2020

Received; read twice and placed on the calendar