Bill > S201

This bill further regulates business practices between motor vehicle dealers, manufacturers, and distributors by introducing several key protections for dealerships. The legislation prohibits manufacturers from coercing dealers to change their facility locations or make substantial renovations without reasonable justification, and establishes that facility improvement programs must be voluntary and offered equitably to all dealers. It restricts manufacturers from requiring dealers to provide customer lists or data without specific legitimate purposes, and mandates that manufacturers fully indemnify dealers for any data security breaches. The bill also prevents manufacturers from arbitrarily altering a dealer's geographic area of responsibility without proper notice and allows dealers to challenge such changes. Additionally, it requires manufacturers to compensate dealers fairly for warranty work, prohibits manufacturers from influencing dealers' repair pricing, and mandates disclosure of vehicle features that can be remotely updated. The legislation further protects dealers from adverse actions related to vehicle exports when they have exercised due diligence, and ensures dealers are compensated for customer assistance with over-the-air vehicle updates. These provisions aim to create more balanced and transparent business relationships in the automotive dealership industry, providing dealers with greater protection against potentially unfair practices by manufacturers and distributors.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S201