PRESENTED BY:

April 2, 2025

Franchisees Discuss Trump 2.0

During the 2025 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference in Las Vegas last week, IFA President & CEO Matt Haller joined Bryan Lanza, former Communications Director for President Donald J. Trump’s Transition Team, and multi-unit franchisee and IFA Second Vice-Chair Gary Robins for a dynamic discussion on the outlook for franchising in the new Trump Administration.

Get involved: Emphasizing that “franchising is Main Street, not Wall Street,” Haller urged franchisees in attendance to engage in the advocacy process, especially at the 2025 Advocacy Summit in Washington D.C.

Go deeper: You can read the full recap of the panel discussion here.

SCOTUS Showdown On Presidential Authority Looms

On March 28, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with the Trump Administration’s effort to remove Gwynne Wilcox from National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), meaning she remains off the federal board that governs collective bargaining law while the challenge to her dismissal is pending. 

Zoom out: One day later, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed separate amicus briefs supporting the President’s authority to dismiss Wilcox, citing the limited scope of Humphrey’s Executor, decades old precedent limiting the President’s authority to dismiss a Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Also pending is the legal challenge by former FTC Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter of their dismissal from the FTC, which also calls into question the reach of Humphrey’s Executor. 

What’s next: Both cases set the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the question it has declined to answer in recent years: whether Humprhey’s Executor and the limitations it imposes on a President’s authority remains good law.

IFA Applauds CTA Changes

IFA led a coalition letter applauding the U.S. Department of Treasury’s final rule that all-but cancels the beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements for U.S. franchisees under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). 

Go deeper: Issued on March 21, 2025, the new rule significantly narrows the scope, exempting domestic companies and U.S. persons who own foreign entities, relieving nearly all U.S. franchises from excessive compliance burdens. 

Why it matters: These revisions allow Treasury to focus on high-risk entities, strengthening the CTA's effectiveness while supporting the growth of law-abiding franchised businesses on Main Street. View the IFA's statement here.

ADVERTISEMENT | Advertise with IFA

IFA Backs PAID Act Legislation

U.S. Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) has introduced the IFA-backed “Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act,” legislation that would permanently reinstate the Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program to help businesses quickly resolve wage discrepancies without costly litigation. 

Go deeper: Originally launched in 2018, the PAID program returned four times the amount of back wages to employees compared to traditional investigations, benefiting both workers and employers. It was terminated by the Biden Administration in 2021.

Our thought bubble: The PAID program ensures employers and workers can quickly resolve wage discrepancies without unjust penalties or delay in payment. This commonsense legislation ensures local franchise owners are protected from often inadvertent mistakes and that workers receive the money they have earned.

IFA Opposes Faster Labor Contracts

IFA joined 42 other business trade associations in signing a letter to Congress opposing S. 844, the Faster Labor Contracts Act. 

Why it matters: This bill would allow the federal government to impose contract terms between unions and businesses, undermining the collective bargaining process and threatening economic stability. 

The big picture: IFA urges lawmakers to reject this legislation, which prioritizes government intervention over private negotiation and could lead to harmful consequences for employers and workers alike.