July 10, 2015—The Michigan Legislature is considering Senate Bill 430, which addresses automotive parts mandates.
If implemented, the bill, which was introduced by Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Joe Hune (R-22), would amend the insurance code to prohibit insurers from requiring automotive repairers to use a specific vendor or process to procure parts and other materials.
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) believes that the legislation will benefit both consumers and automotive repairers in Michigan. If the bill is approved, it will protect free-market competition among parts providers because shop owners would be able to do business with the vendors they choose, the association said in a statement.
“We need our Michigan auto repairers to contact their legislators immediately asking them to express support for S.B. 430. Parts mandates overstep boundaries and are a distraction to the repair process for our members, consumers and the industry as a whole,” said Ray Fisher, president of ASA-Michigan. “This bill addresses the parts mandate issue only, providing a solution to a problem collision repairers face every day.”
