7 USC § 19 - Consideration of costs and benefits and antitrust laws

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t7/s19"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "7 USC § 19 - Consideration of costs and benefits and antitrust laws"
title_number: 7
title_name: "AGRICULTURE"
section_number: "19"
section_name: "Consideration of costs and benefits and antitrust laws"
chapter_number: 1
chapter_name: "COMMODITY EXCHANGES"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 369, § 15, as added Pub. L. 93–463, title I, § 107, Oct. 23, 1974, 88 Stat. 1395; amended Pub. L. 102–546, title V, § 502(b), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3631; Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(5) [title I, § 119], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–403.)"
---


# § 19. Consideration of costs and benefits and antitrust laws

**(a)** **Costs and benefits**

**(1)** **In general** Before promulgating a regulation under this chapter or issuing an order (except as provided in paragraph (3)), the Commission shall consider the costs and benefits of the action of the Commission.

**(2)** **Considerations** The costs and benefits of the proposed Commission action shall be evaluated in light of—

**(A)** considerations of protection of market participants and the public;

**(B)** considerations of the efficiency, competitiveness, and financial integrity of futures markets;

**(C)** considerations of price discovery;

**(D)** considerations of sound risk management practices; and

**(E)** other public interest considerations.

**(3)** **Applicability** This subsection does not apply to the following actions of the Commission:

**(A)** An order that initiates, is part of, or is the result of an adjudicatory or investigative process of the Commission.

**(B)** An emergency action.

**(C)** A finding of fact regarding compliance with a requirement of the Commission.

**(b)** **Antitrust laws** section 21 of this title

The Commission shall take into consideration the public interest to be protected by the antitrust laws and endeavor to take the least anticompetitive means of achieving the objectives of this chapter, as well as the policies and purposes of this chapter, in issuing any order or adopting any Commission rule or regulation (including any exemption under section 6(c) or 6c(b) of this title), or in requiring or approving any bylaw, rule, or regulation of a contract market or registered futures association established pursuant to .

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**Source Credit**: (Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 369, § 15, as added Pub. L. 93–463, title I, § 107, Oct. 23, 1974, 88 Stat. 1395; amended Pub. L. 102–546, title V, § 502(b), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3631; Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(5) [title I, § 119], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–403.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2000— inserted section catchline, added subsec. (a), designated existing provisions as subsec. (b), and inserted subsec. (b) heading.

1992— substituted “regulation (including any exemption under section 6(c) or 6c(b) of this title)” for “regulation”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

For effective date of section, see , set out as an Effective Date of 1974 Amendment note under .