Florida 2019 Legislative Session Begins

Florida's Capitol Hill is buzzing with excitement this week as we welcome lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a 60-day session. FADA will be working closely with legislators (including 66 new legislators) as well as House Speaker Jose Oliva of Hialeah and Senate President Bill Galvano of Bradenton. The two bills FADA has in the hopper this session include:

FADA Manufacturer-Dealer Incentive Bill
SB 1178 sponsored by Senator Joe Gruters
HB 773 sponsored by Representative Jayer Williamson

GOAL: To ensure that the details of factory incentive programs are provided to dealers before implementation and that these programs are fair and responsible. This strengthens existing law that requires factories to provide fair and equitable criterion for measuring sale or service performance objectives.

General Motors is attacking this legislation and suggesting that it may cause them " to suspend incentive programs for all dealers in the state " if passed. GM met with a few handpicked dealers in Tampa, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale on Feb 19-20.

This is the same GM that announced a new national partnership program with independent repair shops that will directly compete with their dealers' service operations and will according to one Florida GM dealer " decimate the dealer franchise system. " Another dealer describes it as " deflating the value of the GM franchise ."


FADA Auto Tech Budget Request
SB sponsored by Senator Manny Diaz
HB 2965 sponsored by Toby Overdorf

GOAL: To help dealers attract more young people into the business as techs and service advisors. It seeks a $500,000 appropriation to expand opportunities for new jobs for Florida's non-college bound young people in order to ensure great service for Florida
consumers in the future.