Revscale Media (illustration)News
White House Backs American Franchise Act on Joint Employer
The administration's public support gives the franchise joint employer bill a real shot in the lame duck session after it stalled before the midterms.
IFA Says the American Franchise Act Needs a Lame-Duck Vote
With Democrats taking both chambers in January, franchise lobbyists say the joint employer bill has about six weeks to pass or it starts over.
The franchise lobby's top federal priority is running out of calendar. "The AFA will expire if it doesn't get done in this lame duck session," the International Franchise Association's Jeff Hanscom told a Las Vegas conference Nov. 9, Franchise Times reported.
H.R. 5267 would settle when a brand shares legal liability for its franchisees' workers, known as joint employment, limiting it to franchisors that exercise "substantial direct and immediate control" over essential terms of employment. It cleared committee in July and was placed on the House calendar Sept. 8, with no floor vote yet. Rep. Kevin Hern, himself a franchisee, introduced it in September 2025.
Democrats won both chambers last week, and the Senate co-sponsor, Roger Marshall, lost his seat.
Priya Shah
Senior Reporter
Related
More coverage to read
Revscale Media (illustration)
The White HouseOperations
White House Backs Franchise Model at McDonald's Policy Summit
President Trump's public endorsement of a franchise-specific joint employer standard gives the American Franchise Act new political momentum headed into Congress.
FranchiseWireOperations
IFA Coalition Pushes Congress to Pass American Franchise Act
More than 100 business and advocacy groups signed a letter calling for a permanent joint employer standard to end a decade of regulatory uncertainty.
Revscale Media (illustration)News
Column: Count the Repeats Before You Pay for Drive-Thru AI
Voice AI got more accurate this year. Nearly three in 10 drive-thru guests still had to repeat themselves, and that is the number franchisees should be asking about.
Revscale Media (illustration)News
The Franchisee Behind Papa Johns' 6,000th Store Files Chapter 11
Yasir Hussain rose from dishwasher to multi-unit owner. His Pennsylvania group filed Nov. 9 owing more than $2.9 million in unsecured claims as Papa Johns keeps closing stores.
Revscale Media (illustration)News
Travelodge's Slow Reservation Hookup Cost It a Franchise Suit
A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that Travelodge's months-long delay in adding a Wisconsin hotel to its booking system freed the owners from more than $260,000 in claimed fees and damages.