TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Yesterday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed five bills from the Legislature, bringing the total number of bills signed this week to 22. But one bill banning direct-to-consumer vehicle sales may make it more complicated for Florida motorists to buy a new car.
HB 637 was authored and bolstered by lobbyists representing the Florida Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) and will prohibit the sale of vehicles by anyone with a 30 percent or higher stake in an automobile manufacturer or importer.
Under the new law, which goes into effect July 1, automakers will no longer be permitted to require dealers to sell cars and trucks at the manufacturers’ recommended price. Dealers can then dramatically mark up vehicle prices, a problem that has plagued numerous legacy automakers in the past.
The initial legislation was a threat to Tesla’s sales model because the electric vehicle manufacturer sells its vehicles through retail locations and online instead of using traditional dealers. But a carveout added language to the bill that allowed Tesla to keep its showrooms.
ADDITIONAL BILLS SIGNED THIS WEEK BY THE GOVERNOR
- HB 213 – Limitation of Actions Involving Real Estate Appraisers and Appraisal Management Companies
- HB 327 – Fire Sprinkler System Projects
- HB 329 – Electronic Monitoring of Persons Charged with or Convicted of Offenses Involving Schools or Students
- HB 331 – Liens and Bonds
- HB 407 – Apalachicola Bay Area of Critical State Concern
- HB 567 – Lake Padgett Estates Independent Special District, Pasco County
- HB 919 – Homeowners’ Associations
- SB 226 – Support for Dependent Adult Children
- SB 242 – Fiscal Accountability
- SB 286 – Legal Instruments
- SB 312 – Insurance
- SB 418 – Insurance
- SB 596 – The Board of Governors of the State University System
- SB 600 – Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors
- SB 676 – Level 2 Background Screenings
- SB 736 – Controlled Substances
- SB 892 – State Minimum Wage
- HB 89 – Building Construction
- HB 95 – Rights of Law Enforcement Officers and Correctional Officers
- HB 111 – Flooding and Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Studies
- HB 119 – Visiting County and Municipal Detention Facilities
