Edward Markey (D-MA)
Small Business Liberation 2.0 Act
A Democratic bill with 8 Democratic cosponsors · See all 8 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Small Business Liberation 2.0 Act. It exempts small business concerns from certain duties imposed by the President under section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The legislation also requires the President to issue refunds for covered duties already paid on goods imported by or for the use of a small business concern. Additionally, the bill prohibits price gouging on goods subject to these duties for a period of five years. It grants enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general while excluding small businesses from the price gouging prohibition. Finally, the bill mandates regular reports to Congress from federal agencies regarding pricing changes and enforcement activities.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +8
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill directly exempts small businesses from certain trade duties and mandates refunds for duties already paid.
- Scored +7
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
It protects consumers from unfair price spikes and establishes a reporting mechanism for suspected price gouging.
- Scored +7
Would business owners be better off under this?
Small business owners benefit directly from duty exemptions and refunds, though larger businesses face stricter price gouging compliance burdens.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 3(a) and Section 3(b) exempt small business concerns from covered duties and require the President to refund duties already paid on goods imported by or for the use of a small business concern. This directly benefits small business owners by lowering their operating costs and returning money to them.
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Section 4(a) prohibits any person from selling or offering for sale a covered good at an unreasonably high price during the five-year period following a duty's implementation or increase. This protects consumers from unfair price spikes related to trade duties.
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Section 4(h) requires the Federal Trade Commission to establish a mechanism for consumers to report potential price gouging violations via a telephone number, mailing address, or website. This gives everyday people a direct voice and an easy way to hold companies accountable for unfair pricing.
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Section 5(a) and Section 5(b) require federal agencies to submit annual reports to Congress and the public regarding pricing changes and enforcement activities. This ensures transparency so that the public knows how well the government is keeping prices in check.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Section 4(c) presumes that larger businesses and entities with unfair leverage are violating price gouging rules if they raise prices after a duty takes effect, which could create heavy administrative and legal burdens for businesses trying to prove their price increases were solely due to actual duty costs.
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Section 4(f) allows state attorneys general or state agencies to bring civil actions against entities for alleged price gouging violations, which could lead to increased litigation and legal costs for businesses operating within those states.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill directly exempts small businesses from certain trade duties and mandates refunds for duties already paid. Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — It protects consumers from unfair price spikes and establishes a reporting mechanism for suspected price gouging. Is this likely to slow the rise in prices? — By prohibiting unjustified price gouging on goods subject to trade duties, the bill aims to prevent excessive price increases for consumers.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Small business owners benefit directly from duty exemptions and refunds, though larger businesses face stricter price gouging compliance burdens. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Price gouging protections help lower-income households avoid excessive price spikes on consumer goods. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Protections against unfair price increases benefit middle-class consumers purchasing everyday goods.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Federal agencies are required to regularly report on pricing changes and enforcement activities to Congress and the public. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — State attorneys general are empowered to bring civil actions against entities for price gouging violations. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill grants enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission regarding price gouging regulations.
- 5/19/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/10/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 7 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Angela AlsobrooksDemocrat · Maryland
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Jacky RosenDemocrat · Nevada
Charles SchumerDemocrat · New York
Chris Van HollenDemocrat · Maryland