The term United States v. South-Eastern Underwriters Association refers to a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case involving the federal antitrust statute and the insurance industry. The case was decided on June 5, 1944. The Supreme Court ruled that the industry is subject to regulation by the United States Congress, under the Commerce Clause. This means that the court determined insurance to be a business that crosses state lines and is, therefore, subject to antitrust laws. Congress passed a law a year later exempting the insurance industry from federal scrutiny.