119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 3016
This bill expands the Federal Trade Commission's authority to regulate nonprofit hospitals by bringing them under FTC oversight for the first time. Currently, the FTC can regulate for-profit businesses but lacks clear authority over tax-exempt hospitals organized under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. The legislation amends the Federal Trade Commission Act to explicitly include nonprofit hospitals and hospital cooperative organizations within the FTC's jurisdiction, allowing the agency to investigate and take action against anticompetitive practices in the hospital sector. The bill does not specify new funding or implementation timelines, but would give federal regulators a new tool to address concerns about hospital consolidation and monopolistic behavior that may be driving up healthcare costs for consumers.