Legislative Affairs
Learn how NADA Legislative Affairs protects and promotes franchised auto and truck dealerships’ interests before Congress.
Legislative Priorities
DOWNLOAD NADA LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES BRIEF
On May 21, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed an amended version of the controversial REPAIR Act (H.R. 1566/S. 1379) relating to vehicle repair. The Committee replaced the original REPAIR Act with language that: 1) codifies the 2014 “right to repair” Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between auto manufacturers and the independent repair industry to provide access to repair information and tools; 2) provides Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforcement; and 3) directs the FTC to study access to vehicle repair issues. The Committee included this language in the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act (H.R. 7389) which could be added to the surface transportation bill on the House floor.
The House committee-passed language does not include controversial, insurer-backed provisions that were contained in the original REPAIR Act that reveal the true purpose of the bill is not to improve vehicle repair options. However, efforts to reinsert these original provisions on the House floor or in the Senate are likely.
On July 22, Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) offered, but then withdrew, S. 1379, the original REPAIR Act, as an amendment during a Senate Commerce Committee markup. NADA and other stakeholders sent a letter opposing the amendment. Members of Congress should oppose the original REPAIR Act and any expansion of the House committee-passed REPAIR Act language beyond its current scope.
Chinese vehicles being imported to, or potentially manufactured in, the U.S. pose a growing risk to existing auto manufacturers, dealers, workers, and our economic and national security. Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced the bipartisan Connected Vehicle Security Act (CVSA) (H.R. 8730/S. 4429), which would ban connected vehicles from foreign adversaries (including China) and prohibit the importation, manufacture, sale and resale of connected vehicles, hardware and software linked to China or other foreign adversaries, including those from joint ventures or entities under their control.
On July 22, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee favorably reported the CVSA by voice vote. NADA strongly supports the policy goals behind the CVSA to protect consumer privacy, national security, and the U.S. economy against unfair competition, and will seek to minimize any unintended consequences for dealers and American jobs. Members of Congress are encouraged to cosponsor and pass the Connected Vehicle Security Act (H.R. 8730/S. 4429).
Law enforcement has recommended federal legislation to give them the tools to fight catalytic converter theft, which increased significantly during the pandemic and remains a national problem. There is a lucrative market for stolen catalytic converters since they are hard to trace, and these thefts are costing millions of dollars for both businesses and vehicle owners. Thefts have also turned violent, with high profile tragedies underscoring the urgency of addressing this issue. Since this crime frequently involves trafficking stolen parts across state lines, a federal framework is needed to aid the efforts of local law enforcement.
NADA and 28 other organizations sent a letter supporting passage of the PART Act (H.R. 5221/S. 2238), which would require catalytic converters to be traceable on new vehicles. The bills also establish a federal penalty for stealing, selling, trafficking or knowingly buying stolen catalytic converters. The PART Act allows officers to trace stolen converters back to specific vehicles while establishing record-keeping transparency to curb illicit activity. On Feb. 10, the House Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee forwarded H.R. 5221 to the Energy and Commerce Committee by voice vote. Members of Congress are urged to cosponsor and pass strong catalytic converter anti-theft legislation, the PART Act (H.R. 5221/S. 2238), that includes vehicle tracing and record keeping transparency to effectively dismantle the black market.
NADA Legislative Issue Briefs
Grassroots Advocacy
Automotive retailing is one of the most heavily regulated businesses in America, and Congress has significant control over the laws and regulations which govern your dealership —from taxes to laws that impact your F&I office to environmental regulation.
To ensure the decisions Congress makes are fully informed, dealers need to educate their elected officials about how automotive retailing works. Dealers can help by participating in grassroots advocacy.
NADA Legislative Affairs Staff
About Legislative Affairs
NADA Legislative Affairs protects and promotes franchised auto and truck dealerships' interests before Congress. We focus on the latest legislation affecting the automotive retail industry.
