PRESENTED BY:

May 13, 2026

This week, IFA endorsed Board Member David Ostrowe in his campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. 

Why It Matters: A longtime franchise leader, Ostrowe has championed job creation and economic opportunity. His candidacy gives the franchise community a rare opportunity to support one of its own for statewide office.

What’s Next: IFA will continue supporting Ostrowe’s campaign as it highlights the role franchising plays in strengthening local economies. Read the full endorsement release here.

IFA’s political action committee, FranPAC, sponsored IFA Board Member and franchise owner Tamra Kennedy to attend a fundraiser for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA-03) at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, FL on May 8.

Why It Matters: Kennedy connected with Rep. Nunn to discuss the importance of the franchise model. Nunn has been a strong supporter of franchise priorities in Congress.

What’s Next: Would you like to learn more about IFA’s FranPAC? Contact IFA’s Hanna Pelletier for more information.

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New Jersey legislators this spring are considering S.3306, a health club ownership-change notification bill that would require gym owners to notify members of any ownership transfer.

Why It Matters: IFA is very concerned the measure is unworkable for gyms that use the franchise model as it would require disclosure of confidential transactions during a franchise buyer's due diligence period and impose costly notification requirements.

What's Next: IFA is working on amendments to S.3306 with the bill's sponsors to preserve meaningful consumer protections without disrupting legitimate business activity, ahead of the bill's consideration in the NJ Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee.

Sen. Raj Mukherji and Assemb. Karabinchak reintroduced legislation targeting the hotel franchise model. S. 4202 and A.5050, the "Hotel Franchisee Fairness and Market Access Act," revives a years-long fight over hotel franchisor-franchisee relationships in the Garden State. 

Why it matters: The legislation would upend longstanding franchise agreements, restrict brand standards, and isolate New Jersey franchisees from system-wide investments.

What's next: IFA is engaging sponsors and key legislators and coordinating with coalition partners ahead of any committee action.

IFA advocacy helped defeat the misguided Colorado HB 26-1327, which died in the Colorado Senate Finance Committee on Friday, May 5, ending the bill's path forward this session.

Why it matters: IFA’s primary concern with the legislation was the potential the legislation could have created substantial joint-employment risk for brands in Colorado, injecting ambiguity regarding who may be deemed the employer of a franchisee’s employees. Defeating this expansive measure is major win for Colorado franchises.

What's next: IFA will keep watch for similar proposals in Colorado's 2027 session and across other statehouses.

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), a bill that would strengthen legal tools for law enforcement to help limit retail crime against franchise businesses.

Dig Deeper: IFA supports this measure to address the growing threat to the U.S. supply chain, driven by organized criminal networks operating across state and national borders. See the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s statement on H.R. 2853.

What’s Next: The bill now moves to the Senate, where a companion bill is led by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).