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NHTSA Begins Effort to Require Impaired Driving Prevention Tech in New Cars

NHTSA Begins Effort to Require Impaired Driving Prevention Tech in New Cars The United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has formally launched an effort to require that drunk or impaired driving prevention technologies come standard in new vehicles. In its advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, the agency requests the public’s…

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U.S. Senators Raise Alarm on Alleged Tesla Safety Flaws

U.S. Senators Raise Alarm on Alleged Tesla Safety Flaws United States Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have sent a letter to Elon Musk following a report from Reuters on Tesla vehicles’ safety flaws. In their letter, the Senators note that, “[t]he report details complaints about suspension connection points, including fore and aft…

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U.S. Senate Bill would Weaken Federal Insurance Office’s Authority

U.S. Senate Bill would Weaken Federal Insurance Office’s Authority A bill titled the “Insurance Data Protection Act” (S. 3349) introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) would restrict the Federal Insurance Office’s (FIO) ability to collect information directly from insurance companies. It would also rescind the director of FIO’s subpoena authority. Housed…

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LiDAR Imports and Exports to and from China Scrutinized by U.S. House Members

LiDAR Imports and Exports to and from China Scrutinized by U.S. House Members A bipartisan group of twenty members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to the Secretaries of the Departments of Defense, Commerce, and the Treasury raising concern with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology imports and exports to and from…

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FTC Returns Additional $857K to Those Harmed by Junk Auto Fee Practices

FTC Returns Additional $857K to Those Harmed by Junk Auto Fee Practices The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced it is disbursing more than $857,000 cumulatively in its second round of compensatory payments to customers harmed by Napleton Automotive Group’s illegal junk fees and discriminatory practices. Napleton Automotive Group, which is based in Illinois, is…

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PLACE HOLDER: POST ON 11/14/23 JUDICIARY HEARING

PLACE HOLDER: POST ON 11/14/23 JUDICIARY HEARING Earlier this week, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust held an oversight hearing. Jonathan Kanter, the Assistant Attorney General who leads the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, provided testimony. Assistant Attorney General Kanter defended his office’s investigations into monopolistic…

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CA Bureau of Automotive Repair Proposes Changes to “Tear Down” Disclosure Rules

CA Bureau of Automotive Repair Proposes Changes to “Tear Down” Disclosure Rules California’s Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) has proposed amendments to the language and disclosure requirements in the state’s tear down disclosure regulations. BAR will hold a regulatory workshop open to the public on this proposal on October 19, 2023. Click here to read…

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FTC Reaches Settlement with Operators of Extended Automobile Warranty Scam

FTC Reaches Settlement with Operators of Extended Automobile Warranty Scam The Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement in its lawsuit against Kole Consulting Group and its owner Daniel Kole. The FTC charged Kole and his company in February 2022 with running a telemarketing scam that pitched, what they called, their American Vehicle Protection program.…

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New Vermont Law Mandates Study on Auto Aftermarket Labor Rates and Parts

New Vermont Law Mandates Study on Auto Aftermarket Labor Rates and Parts A new law signed by Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R) tasks Vermont’s Commissioner of Financial Regulation with investigating and making recommendations on hourly labor rates for auto body work. The legislation’s (S.95) sponsor, State Senator Ann Cummings (D), noted, “what the insurance company…

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TX State Senate Committee Approves SB 1083

TX State Senate Committee Approves SB 1083 The Texas State Senate’s Business & Commerce Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill (SB) 1083 on Tuesday. SB 1083 would mandate insurance companies to: Require the use of the part, product, or repair process used by the OEM or distributor to repair the vehicle for cars owned for LESS…

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