Directing the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and report on anticompetitive practices and violations of the antitrust laws in the fire truck manufacturing industry.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 203 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. J. RES. 203

  Directing the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and report on
 anticompetitive practices and violations of the antitrust laws in the
                   fire truck manufacturing industry.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 21, 2026

 Ms. Balint (for herself and Mr. Cline) submitted the following joint
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION

  Directing the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and report on
 anticompetitive practices and violations of the antitrust laws in the
                   fire truck manufacturing industry.

Whereas section 6 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 46) and the
        matter under the heading ``FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION'' of the Independent
        Offices Appropriation Act, 1934 (15 U.S.C. 46a) authorize Congress,
        through a resolution passed by the Senate and the House of
        Representatives, to direct the Federal Trade Commission to investigate
        and report the facts relating to any alleged violations of the antitrust
        laws by any corporation;
Whereas there have been credible allegations of violations of the antitrust laws
        in the fire truck manufacturing industry;
Whereas the fire truck manufacturing industry has become increasingly
        consolidated over the last decade, largely due to serial acquisitions of
        independent fire truck manufacturers by private equity firms and larger
        manufacturers;
Whereas the Merger Guidelines issued by the Federal Trade Commission and
        Department of Justice clarify that the antitrust agencies may examine
        the cumulative effect of a whole series of acquisitions if an individual
        transaction is part of a firm's pattern or strategy of multiple
        acquisitions;
Whereas 3 companies control 70 to 80 percent of the fire truck manufacturing
        market;
Whereas dominant fire truck manufacturers have allegedly used their market power
        to increase fire truck prices to the point that fire trucks are
        unattainable for fire departments;
Whereas, between 2013 and 2023, the price for a pumper truck increased from
        $500,000 to nearly $1,000,000, and the price for a ladder truck
        increased from $900,000 to nearly $2,000,000;
Whereas the prices of fire trucks have far outpaced inflation for heavy duty
        truck manufacturing from 2013 to 2023;
Whereas, since 2019, the lead times for fire truck delivery have increased from
        between 1 and 2 years to 4.5 years;
Whereas the fire truck manufacturer with the largest market share has
        permanently shut down some of its own production plants even while
        demand for fire trucks has increased in recent years;
Whereas higher prices and longer delivery times for fire trucks have prevented
        fire departments from replacing aging fire trucks, and instead forced
        fire departments to use outdated fire trucks, threatening fire fighter
        and public safety;
Whereas fire departments are struggling to procure fire trucks due to rising
        costs and lengthening delivery backlogs;
Whereas when Los Angeles, California faced deadly wildfires in January 2025,
        more than half of the fire trucks of the Los Angeles Fire Department
        were out of service, which hindered the ability of the Department to
        effectively contain the fires;
Whereas Members of Congress have heard from fire fighters, fire departments, and
        local officials, including in Massachusetts, Indiana, Vermont, and
        Virginia, about the economic and safety challenges caused by rising fire
        truck costs and delivery backlogs; and
Whereas, in August 2025, the City of La Crosse, Wisconsin filed a class action
        lawsuit against several major fire truck manufacturers, alleging they
        conspired to use their market power to suppress the supply of fire
        trucks and raise fire truck prices, in violation of section 1 of the
        Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. 1) and the antitrust law of the State of
        Wisconsin (Wis. Stat. Ann. section 133.01): Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That--
            (1) the Federal Trade Commission is directed to investigate
        and, not later than 1 year after the date of adoption of this
        resolution, report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the
        Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
        Representatives on--
                    (A) the extent of anticompetitive practices and
                violations of the antitrust laws (as defined in the
                first section of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. 12)) in the
                fire truck manufacturing industry, including--
                            (i) price fixing;
                            (ii) price gouging;
                            (iii) serial acquisitions; and
                            (iv) monopolization;
                    (B) the effects of anticompetitive practices and
                violations of the antitrust laws in the fire truck
                manufacturing industry on fire fighters, fire
                departments, States, municipalities, and small
                businesses, including monetary and other harms; and
                    (C) recommendations for legislation, or other
                remedial actions, as appropriate; and
            (2) if a respondent does not provide timely answers to a
        request for information by the Federal Trade Commission, the
        Federal Trade Commission shall report to the Committee on the
        Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of
        the House of Representatives regarding the conduct of the
        respondent.
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