Cost of Smarter Act Minimal, Congressional Budget Office Report Says
Implementing the Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act, or Smarter Act, (HR-2745) wouldn't have a significant effect on discretionary spending, affect direct spending or revenue or increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits, said a Congressional Budget…
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Office cost estimate report published Friday. The Smarter Act would “harmonize the standard [the FTC and Justice Department] must meet before a federal court can issue a preliminary injunction against a proposed transaction,” and direct the FTC "to resolve certain contested mergers or acquisitions through a federal court rather than through administrative litigation,” CBO said. Changes to the FTC’s review of mergers and acquisitions “would not require a significant increase in staffing levels” and wouldn't dramatically change the volume of cases, CBO said. “Increased workloads resulting from the new requirement would have an insignificant effect on the FTC’s staffing levels and on the workload of the federal courts,” CBO said.