Bill Text: IA HF54 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act authorizing manufacturers of battery electric motor vehicles to be licensed as motor vehicle dealers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-14 - Introduced, referred to Transportation. H.J. 46. [HF54 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-HF54-Introduced.html
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
explanation’s
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
dealer’s
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
