HART Act
Sponsored By: Senator Amy Klobuchar
Introduced
Summary
The HART Act would change federal merger rules to bring many residential property buys under antitrust review. It would create a mandatory calendar-year aggregation rule that treats multiple residential and investment-rental purchases by the same person in one year as a single acquisition for Clayton Act filing thresholds.
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The Impact:
- Households and homebuyers: Would require a federal filing when a buyer's aggregated residential purchases in a calendar year hit the Clayton Act thresholds, which may add preclosing paperwork for some transactions.
- Real-estate investors and REITs: Narrows the exemption in Section 7A(c)(1) so transactions that include residential property or investment rental property not solely for personal use count toward filing requirements.
- Federal agencies and enforcers: Directs the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division to amend 16 CFR Part 802 and issue rules on forms and documentary information needed to review aggregated residential acquisitions.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
New merger rules for home buyers
If enacted, the bill would count all residential property purchases by the same person in a calendar year as a single acquisition. You would need to file a premerger notice when those yearly purchases cross a filing threshold. The bill would define what counts as residential property and exclude short-term lodging like hotels and nightly rentals. It would also narrow an existing exemption so deals with rental or investment homes may require filings. The FTC and Justice Department would make new forms and rules through notice-and-comment rulemaking.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
MN • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 6/5/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov