RVIA Advocates for New Mexico RV-Specific Franchise Bill – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
On Thursday, Feb. 27, the RV Industry Association’s (RVIA) Director of State Government Affairs Michael Ochs will testify before the New Mexico Senate Committee on Tax, Business, and Transportation. Ochs will be advocating for the passage of Senate Bill 287, which would govern towable RV manufacturer-dealer agreements in the state, according to an RVIA News & Insights report.
Ochs will be testifying alongside Senator Linda Trujillo (D-NM), the sponsor of the bill, as well as Bob Scholl, Assistant General Manager of Rocky Mountain RV and Marine, an RV dealership located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Similar to the RV-specific franchise legislation that was passed last year in Wisconsin, Washington, and Maryland, this bill creates a system that better reflects the relationship between RV manufacturers and dealers. Senate Bill 287 is based on the RV Industry Association-RV Dealers Association Model Manufacturer-Dealer Agreement Bill, which was approved by the two organizations in 2020.
Over the years, the RV industry has worked to establish exemptions from parts of the automobile franchise law because many provisions do not pertain to the RV industry or are handled differently by RV manufacturers and dealers than by the automobile industry. As an extension of these efforts, the RV Industry Association has advocated for an RV-specific franchise law to place the manufacturer-dealer relationship for RVs in a separate chapter of law, creating more clarity for RV business and consumers.
This legislation is the product of negotiations last year between the RV Industry Association and the RV dealers in New Mexico, both of whom strongly support its approval. Passage of the legislation will strengthen the viability of the RV industry in New Mexico to the state’s benefit and that of consumers, manufacturers, and dealers.
Senate Bill 287 is designed to be fair, reciprocal and reasonable to all stakeholders – and in the RV industry, that includes not only the dealer and the manufacturer, but also suppliers to manufacturers who provide a written warranty on their products directly to those who purchase and enjoy RVs. These suppliers must also treat dealers fairly under SB 287 in warranty matters – a major difference from the automobile industry.
