CFTC Office of the Chief Economist Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Bresnahan
Introduced
Summary
Creates a new Office of the Chief Economist at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to centralize economic analysis, cost-benefit reviews, and research that inform market oversight.
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- Commission operations: The CFTC would be directed to coordinate with the Office and to explicitly consider market liquidity in its statutory duties.
- Hiring and staff: The bill authorizes two-track hiring so the Office can appoint economists, research analysts, data specialists, and specialized market experts.
- Job classification: The bill says appointments made under this authority will not convert those positions from the competitive service to the excepted service.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New CFTC Chief Economist Office
This bill would create an Office of the Chief Economist inside the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The Office would be led by a Chief Economist who would advise the Commission and perform economic analysis, regulatory cost‑benefit reviews, and research. The bill would let the CFTC hire economists, research analysts, and data specialists under flexible appointment rules, including excepted-service authority and without following competitive-service appointment rules. Covered jobs must serve the Office, be in the competitive service, and be economists, data specialists, or require specialized market or IT knowledge. The bill would also require the Commission to coordinate with the Office before some actions, broaden references from "futures markets" to "markets under the Commission's jurisdiction," and add consideration of market liquidity to its rule analyses. These changes would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Bresnahan
PA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6]
MD • D
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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