House File 54 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 54 BY WHEELER A BILL FOR An Act authorizing manufacturers of battery electric motor 1 vehicles to be licensed as motor vehicle dealers. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1574YH (1) 91 th/ns
H.F. 54 Section 1. Section 322.3, subsection 15, Code 2025, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . g. A manufacturer of battery electric motor 3 vehicles, as defined in section 321.116, from being licensed 4 as a motor vehicle dealer of only the battery electric motor 5 vehicles manufactured by that manufacturer. 6 EXPLANATION 7 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 8 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 9 Under current law, a motor vehicle manufacturer or importer 10 is prohibited from directly or indirectly being licensed as, 11 owning an interest in, operating, or controlling a motor 12 vehicle dealer. There are limited exceptions provided, 13 including temporarily to facilitate transfer of the motor 14 vehicle dealership to a new owner; for the purpose of enhancing 15 opportunities for persons who lack the financial resources 16 to purchase the dealership without such assistance; where 17 the dealers primary business is renting motor vehicles; for 18 dealers of motor homes manufactured by that manufacturer; for 19 dealers of the line-make manufactured by that manufacturer 20 under certain circumstances; and for final-stage manufacturers 21 of multi-stage manufactured vehicles under certain 22 circumstances. 23 This bill provides an additional exception that authorizes a 24 manufacturer of battery electric motor vehicles to be licensed 25 as a motor vehicle dealer of only the battery electric motor 26 vehicles manufactured by that manufacturer. For purposes 27 of the bill, battery electric motor vehicle means a motor 28 vehicle equipped with electrical drivetrain components and not 29 equipped with an internal combustion engine, that is propelled 30 exclusively by one or more electrical motors using electrical 31 energy stored in a battery or other energy storage device that 32 can be recharged by plugging into an electrical outlet or 33 electric vehicle charging station. 34 A person who engages in the business of selling motor 35 -1- LSB 1574YH (1) 91 th/ns 1/ 2
H.F. 54 vehicles and who was not issued a dealer license by the 1 department of transportation (DOT) commits a simple misdemeanor 2 punishable by a fine of not less than $250 nor more than 3 $1,500 or by imprisonment not to exceed 30 days. Pursuant to 4 administrative rules adopted by the DOT (761 IAC 425.3), a 5 person who sells at retail more than six motor vehicles during 6 a 12-month period is presumed to be engaged in the business of 7 selling motor vehicles. 8 -2- LSB 1574YH (1) 91 th/ns 2/ 2