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October 15, 2025

Senators Hear About American Franchise Act

During a U.S. Senate HELP Committee hearing last week, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien discussed finding common ground on the joint employer issue – in particular the American Franchise Act. You can watch the full exchange here.

Why it matters: O’Brien has become an unlikely ally of the Trump Administration and congressional Republicans, and the Teamsters have traditionally opposed IFA’s position on joint employment, so it was eye-opening to hear him express openness to clearly defining joint employer for franchises.

Big picture: The conversation comes as the Senate prepares to introduce its version of H.R. 5267, the American Franchise Act, IFA’s top legislative priority aiming to protect the independence of local franchise owners, which currently features 34 bipartisan House cosponsors.

Senate Advances Key NLRB Nominees

In the same U.S. Senate HELP Committee hearing last week, the panel advanced IFA-supported nominations of Crystal Carey and James Murphy to serve in leadership roles at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

What you need to know: Carey has been tapped to serve as General Counsel, while Murphy is slated to serve as a Board member.

What’s next: The NLRB should be a five-member board, but it currently lacks a quorum, so IFA applauds the committee’s action and urges the full Senate to quickly confirm Carey and Murphy.

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Maryland Launches Fast Track Registration Program

On October 8, Maryland launched a new Fast Track Franchise Registration Pilot Program for which IFA advocated to improve outcomes ahead of the 2026 franchise registration renewal season and beyond.

Why it matters: Several franchise brands have had extensive waiting periods for their registration in the state of Maryland, and this program will expedite their renewal applications. 

What to know: Franchisors currently registered in Maryland may participate in the pilot program by submitting most of their registration materials by February 1, 2026, and supplement the remaining materials by April 10. Renewal applications would be approved by April 30. The full guidelines are available here and FAQs here. 

Coalition Launches to Stop EU Overreach

What’s happening: IFA has joined business leaders, as part of the Stop EU Overreach Coalition, to push back against the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) — a rule that could impose punitive impacts on U.S. supply chains. 

Why it matters: The directive could impose costly new requirements on brands operating in or supplying to the EU. IFA’s Mike Layman lays out the consequences for franchises here. 

Big picture: The coalition is working to educate policymakers at home and abroad to stop the directive to protect franchise operations from unintended impacts.