What Happened:

Ohio Senate Bill 306 passed the Senate on March 25, 2026, and is now advancing through the Ohio House. The bill imposes significant new restrictions on independent auto repair facilities while explicitly exempting motor vehicle dealerships from the same requirements.

What the Bill Does:

IMPOSED ON INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS:

• Eliminates assignment of benefits, removing a shop’s ability to work directly with insurers to dispute unfair estimates
• Freezes storage fees on an ambiguous trigger before a total-loss determination is formalized
• Extends to 45 days the window insurers have to tie up disputed vehicles
• Requires shops to grant insurers immediate vehicle access with no advance notice and no liability protections
• Imposes mandatory daily fines for procedural violations

EXEMPTED FROM ALL OF THE ABOVE:

• Motor vehicle dealerships performing the same repair and storage services

What This Means for Ohio:

The auto care industry supports 132,345 jobs and $58.3 billion in economic activity in Ohio across 7,434 service facilities. This bill creates a two-tiered system in which independent shops bear the entire compliance burden while their direct competitors face none.

Why This Matters:

Independent repair facilities serve drivers in every community across Ohio. When shops lose the ability to fairly dispute insurance claims, consumers lose access to affordable repair options and are forced to absorb costs that insurers refuse to cover. This is not a bill about consumer protection. It is a bill that protects insurers and dealers at the expense of everyone else.

Take Action: Contact Your Ohio House Representative

The House floor vote is the last opportunity to fix this bill. Fill out the form to the right to send a pre-generated letter to your Ohio House representative letting them know you oppose Senate Bill 306 as written and urging them to support amendments before it reaches the floor.