Bill > H0231

This bill revises regulations for motor vehicle manufacturers, distributors, and importers, primarily by amending existing laws and adding new provisions to protect motor vehicle dealers. Key changes include establishing stricter timeframes for audits of service-related and incentive payments to dealers, limiting chargebacks (repayments demanded from dealers) to proven false or fraudulent claims, and requiring manufacturers to meet with dealers before imposing chargebacks. The bill also prohibits manufacturers from retaliating against dealers for selling vehicles to customers who export or resell them, unless the dealer knew of the customer's intent, and clarifies that manufacturers cannot deny payments for temporary replacement vehicles provided to service customers. Furthermore, it prevents manufacturers from forcing dealers to buy goods or services from specific vendors without offering an alternative option from a dealer-chosen vendor, and introduces new rules for how manufacturers and their agents handle "consumer data" (nonpublic personal information collected by dealers), requiring them to protect this data, disclose its usage upon request, and indemnify dealers for damages caused by data breaches.