2017 WY S.B. 57; Date introduced: JANUARY 3, 2017, Last action: FEBRUARY 23, 2017; Committee amendment adopted on HOUSE floor. Authorizes a motor vehicle manufacturer without dealerships within the state to sell motor vehicles directly to consumers.
2017 VA H.B. 1394; Date introduced: JULY 18, 2016, Last action: FEBRUARY 23, 2017; House concurrence. Provides that neither a franchisee nor any employee of the franchisee shall be deemed to be an employee of the franchisor notwithstanding any voluntary agreement between the U.S. Department of Labor and the franchisee.
2017 UT S.B. 236, Date introduced: FEBRUARY 15, 2017, Last action: FEBRUARY 22, 2017 to Senate Committee on Business and Labor. Requires manufacturers of motor vehicles to compensate its new motor vehicle dealers for costs incurred while holding a vehicle for sale but are unable to sell it due to unavailability in parts, remedy or performance of a recall service or repair, when the manufacturer has issued a "Stop-Sale", or "Do-Not-Drive" order on the vehicle.
2017 ND S.B. 2289 Date introduced: JANUARY 19, 2017; Last action: FEBRUARY 22, 2017 to House Committee on Agriculture. Adds numerous protections for farm equipment dealers including, but not limited to, prohibiting minimum inventory requirements and exclusive facilities requirements, limiting warranty audits/chargebacks, defining a “substantial change in competitive circumstances” to include withdrawal of part of a product line, and others.
2017 MT S.B. 89; Date introduced: JANUARY 5, 2017; Last action: FEBRUARY 17, 2017; From House Committee on Business and Labor, recommended for passage. Provides that in determining good cause for termination of auto dealers, one factor that must be considered is the dealer’s sales in light of local market conditions.
2017 MS S.B. 2110, Date introduced: JANUARY 9, 2017, Last action: FEBRUARY 21, 2017; To House Committee on Ways and Means. Provides that a franchisor is not considered to be an employer or co-employer of a franchisee or an employee of a franchisee unless the franchisor agrees, in writing, to assume the role of an employer or co-employer of the franchisee or the employee of a franchisee.
Minnesota - Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance & Policy
2017 MN S.B. 1343; (NEW BILL) Date introduced: FEBRUARY 23, 2017, Last action: FEBRUARY 23, 2017; to Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance & Policy. Adds failure to renew to termination, etc. as requiring notice, good cause, etc.; provides that all franchise relationships entered into on or after July 1, 2017, shall be deemed to be contracts of perpetual duration that are terminable only for good cause. A franchisor whose franchise agreement expires may require that a franchisee enter into the franchisor's then-current franchise agreement upon expiration, but the franchisee shall have a statutory right to renew upon expiration, even if the franchise agreement at issue contains no renewal right; prohibits disclaimers of statutory violations as a condition of renewal and voids disclaimers in sale documents of any statutory violation.
2017 MA S.B. 146; (NEW BILL) Date introduced: FEBRUARY 22, 2017. Makes numerous revisions to motor vehicle dealer law, including changes to price discrimination provisions and other unfair practices, and manufacturer ownership (prohibits ownership even if no franchised dealers in state – opposite of HB 175).
2017 MA H.B. 175; (NEW BILL) Date introduced: FEBRUARY 23, 2017. Provides an exception to prohibition on manufacturer ownership of a dealership where at the time of establishment of the manufacturer or distributor owned or operated dealership, no franchise agreement existed between the manufacturer or distributor and any dealer in the Commonwealth not owned or operated by the manufacturer or distributor; and provides for a private cause of action for violation.
