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H.R. 3196: Fair Franchise Act of 2015

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H.R. 3196: Fair Franchise Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-07-23 · Commerce · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2015-07-23 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Fair Franchise Act of 2015

Plain summary

Fair Franchise Act of 2015 This bill prohibits any franchise seller, in connection with any disclosure document, notice, or report required by any federal, state, or local law, from making an untrue statement of material fact or failing to state a material fact or any other fact that would render any required statement or disclosure either untrue or misleading. A franchise seller is also prohibited from failing to furnish any prospective franchisee with: all information required to be disclosed by law; a written statement on whether the franchise agreement involved contains a right to renew it; and certain historical financial performance data in the disclosure document. Nor may a franchise seller make any oral or written claim or representation to a prospective franchisee that is inconsistent with, or that contradicts, the disclosure document. A franchisor or subfranchisor, in connection with the performance, enforcement, renewal, or termination of any franchise agreement, must not: engage in any act or pattern of conduct that operates as a fraud upon any person; hinder, prohibit, or penalize the free association of franchisees for any lawful purpose; discriminate against a franchisee by imposing requirements not imposed on other similarly situated franchisees or otherwise retaliate against any franchisee for membership or participation in a franchisee association; charge excessive and unreasonable renewal fees; enforce a provision in a franchise agreement requiring the parties to submit to arbitration unless certain conditions are met; terminate, cancel, or fail to renew a franchise for failure or refusal of the franchisee because it failed or refused to perform specified activities; restrict a franchisee from associating with other franchisees or from joining, leading, or otherwise participating in a trade or other association; require or prohibit any change in management of any franchise except for good cause; or impose on a franchisee a standard of conduct or performance unless the franchisor sustains the burden of proving the standard to be reasonable, necessary, and uniformly enforced. This bill specifies requirements concerning minimum standards of conduct (good faith and due care) for each party to a franchise agreement. It also prohibits: requiring inclusion in a franchise agreement of a term or condition which violates this Act or relieves a person from a duty or liability under it, or any waiver of compliance with this Act. A franchisee may assign a franchise interest to a transferee, provided the transferee satisfies reasonable qualifications applied by the franchisor in the offer and sale of franchises. The bill also: requires specified renewal, termination, and transfer protection for franchisees; specifies requirements concerning legal actions brought by franchisees injured or damaged by violations of this Act; and authorizes legal actions by state attorneys general on behalf of state residents for alleged violation of this Act.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Fair Franchise Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jared Huffman (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-hr3196 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114