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December 3, 2025

Coalition Rallies Behind AFA

Today, IFA led a group of 102 business, advocacy, and diversity organizations on a letter urging Congress to pass the American Franchise Act (AFA) citing the need for long-term certainty after a decade of joint-employer whiplash. 

Dig Deeper: The momentum comes alongside public backing from franchise leaders, including Dave Tucci, president of Maine-based franchise brand Aroma Joe’s, who wrote in a Portland Press Herald op-ed this week that franchise owners “deserve stability.” 

What Else: Tune into IFA’s Franchise Voice podcast, where IFA Chief Advocacy Officer Michael Layman and Taco John’s franchisee Tamra Kennedy break down what’s next for franchising — and why bringing “joint employer” into the mainstream matters more than ever. 

IFA Opposes NJ Non-Compete Ban

IFA submitted formal comments this week urging New Jersey lawmakers to reject A5708, a bill that would impose a sweeping ban on non-compete agreements — including those affecting franchise owners. 

Why It Matters: The bill’s broad definition of “senior executives” risks sweeping in franchisee principals, undermining contract certainty and enabling departing owners to immediately open competing businesses — a “free-rider” problem that threatens local franchisees who play by the rules. 

Dig Deeper: The letter warns that trade-secret laws alone can’t protect brand systems, territory integrity, or the operational know-how franchisees gain through franchisor training. Without clear post-term protections, systems face costly litigation and destabilized markets — and growth could slow if franchise agreements lose enforceability. 

What’s Next: The Assembly Labor Committee will take up A5708 at tomorrow’s hearing, where IFA will continue pushing for amendments that distinguish franchise ownership from employment and preserve long-standing protections for local small-business investors.

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IFA Presses for USMCA Trade Agreement

IFA joined more than 500 business and agricultural groups on a letter to Congress in support of the existing U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) as essential to preserving trade ties between the three countries. 

Why It Matters: In the wake of continued volatility surrounding tariffs, the letter reiterates the groups’ support for maintaining the agreement, which “guarantees that virtually all U.S. exports enter these markets tariff-free and helps American companies and the workers they employ compete in our top two export markets.” 

By The Numbers: More than 100,000 U.S. small and medium-size businesses sell their goods and services to Canada and Mexico, and more than 13 million American jobs depend on trade with Canada and Mexico. 

IFA Coalition Testifies on Health Care Costs

Joel White, president of the Council for Affordable Health Coverage, an IFA-affiliated coalition working to bring health care costs down, testified before the U.S. Senate HELP Committee today.  

Why It Matters: White will warn that federal policies such as shrinking consumer choice, hospital and insurer monopolies, and the lack of transparent price and quality data, are driving costs higher. 

Dig Deeper: White is expected to highlight how recent proposals from Congress and the Trump administration could help rebalance the system and restore affordability for families. Watch the hearing here.