[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.
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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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