Fair Prices for Local Businesses Act

The Fair Prices for Local Businesses Act, introduced in March 2026, would modernize federal antitrust laws to address price discrimination by large corporations. The bill targets a practice where mega-retailers like Walmart and Amazon use their market power to demand lower prices from suppliers than smaller competitors pay for the same goods, forcing small businesses to either pay more or close. Currently referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the bill would strengthen the Robinson-Patman Act, a 1936 law that has gone largely unenforced since the 1980s.

Key provisions would eliminate legal loopholes that currently protect large retailers. The bill would repeal the "meeting competition" defense that allows suppliers to justify discriminatory pricing, and remove the requirement to prove that large retailers "knowingly" received preferential treatment. It would also expand protections to cover services like delivery and payment processing. Supporters argue these changes would level the playing field for independent grocers, restaurants, bookstores, and other small businesses, potentially lowering consumer prices by reducing the cost advantages of dominant retailers. The bill is backed by small business groups and consumer advocacy organizations.