The Center for State Enforcement of Antitrust and Consumer Protection Laws, Inc., (State Center) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt not-for-profit foundation. Its mission is to enhance consumer welfare by supporting the fair, effective and vigorous enforcement of antitrust and consumer protection laws at the state level. The State Center is independent of any other organization and deliberately employs a bipartisan outlook and approach in developing and evaluating programming. All program and funding decisions are made by its Board of Directors with the participation of its Executive Director. The State Center does not engage in lobbying activities or participate in any political campaign activities.
The States are a fundamental component of our federal system of government. The chief law enforcement officers of the States are their Attorneys General. One of the principal obligations of State Attorneys General is to protect their fellow citizens from fraud, deceptive practices, bid-rigging, price-fixing and other illegal business practices. State Attorneys General play a unique role in protecting consumers because they are closer to their citizens and more familiar with local business practices and conditions than federal law enforcement officials based in Washington, DC.
State Attorneys General do a superb job of consumer protection despite often limited resources, especially compared to those available to their federal counterparts. The State Center seeks to assist State Attorneys General and other local law enforcement officials in their efforts to protect consumers by providing them with access to training, technical services, legal resources, and investigative, economic and other expert support. The State Center also supports other projects intended to benefit state enforcement of antitrust and consumer protection laws.