Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009

Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009 - Prohibits any automobile manufacturer in which the federal government has an economic interest from depriving an automobile dealer of its economic rights as they existed prior to the commencement of a bankruptcy case by the manufacturer, including the dealer's rights to recourse under state law.

Requires such manufacturers to restore the franchise agreements with dealers that were in effect prior to the bankruptcy case.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2750 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2750

  To restore the economic rights of automobile dealers, and for other 
                               purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 2009

Mr. LaTourette (for himself, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. McCotter, Mr. Nunes, Mr. 
  Young of Alaska, Mr. McKeon, Mr. Tiberi, Mr. Young of Florida, Mr. 
  Turner, Mr. Whitfield, Mr. McHenry, and Mr. Simpson) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To restore the economic rights of automobile dealers, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Automobile Dealer Economic Rights 
Restoration Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Automobile dealers are an asset to automobile 
        manufacturers that make it possible to penetrate communities 
        and sell automobiles nationally.
            (2) The manufacturers obtain the benefits from having a 
        national dealer network at no material cost to the 
        manufacturers.
            (3) Historically, automobile dealers have had franchise 
        agreement protections under State law.

SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF ECONOMIC RIGHTS.

    (a) Preservation of Rights.--In order to protect assets of the 
Federal Government, and better assure the viability of automobile 
manufacturers in which the Federal Government has an ownership 
interest, no automobile manufacturer in which the Federal Government 
has an ownership interest may deprive an automobile dealer of its 
economic rights as they existed prior to the commencement of a 
bankruptcy case by the manufacturer, including its rights to recourse 
under State law.
    (b) Restoration of Franchise Agreements.--In order to preserve 
economic rights pursuant to subsection (a), automobile manufacturers 
covered under this Act shall restore the franchise agreements with 
automobile dealers that were in effect prior to the commencement of a 
bankruptcy case by those manufacturers.
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