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S 2160 99th Congress Senate

Merger Modernization Act of 1986

Official title: A bill to clarify and improve the analysis of mergers under the antitrust laws.

Introduced: March 7, 1986 See on congress.gov
Commerce Antitrust lawCompetitionCorporate mergersCorporate reorganizationsCorporations and Stocks
This bill died when the 99th Congress ended
It never became law before the 99th Congress (1985–1986) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 6 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 21, 1986
Committee on Judiciary. Hearings concluded. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 99-725.
May 12, 1986
Committee on Judiciary. Hearings held.
Apr 9, 1986
Committee on Judiciary. Hearings held.
Mar 21, 1986
Committee on Judiciary requested executive comment from Federal Trade Commission.
Mar 7, 1986
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Mar 7, 1986
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action May 21, 1986

Committee on Judiciary. Hearings concluded. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 99-725.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Merger Modernization Act of 1986 - Amends the Clayton Act to revise the standard of anticompetitive effects required to prohibit a merger. Prohibits a merger if there is a significant probability that the merger will substantially increase the ability to exercise market power. Defines "the ability to exercise market power" as the ability of one or more firms profitably to maintain prices above competitive levels for a significant period of time.

Directs the courts, in determining whether a merger will substantially increase the ability of a firm to exercise market power, to consider all economic factors relevant to the affected markets, including: (1) the difficulty of entry by foreign or domestic firms into the market; (2) efficiencies derived from the merger; and (3) any other evidence indicating whether the merger will increase the ability to exercise market power.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 2160: Merger Modernization Act of 1986. 99th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/99-S-2160/
MLA
"S. 2160: Merger Modernization Act of 1986." 99th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/99-S-2160/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 2160, 99th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/99-S-2160/.
Markdown link
[S. 2160: Merger Modernization Act of 1986](https://openamerica.io/bill/99-S-2160/)
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