APRIL 1, 2009

IN THIS ISSUE

DEALER NEWS & INFORMATION

– Denver Auto Show Starts Today!

– Dealer Participation Needed: NADA Compensation and Benefits Survey

– Automotive News at a Glance

REGULATORY & LEGAL UPDATES

– New I-9 Required Beginning April 3rd, 2009

– Off-Premise Permits Must Be Available for Inspection at the Auto Show

– COBRA Continuation Assistance: Dealers May Need to Send Notice Letters by April 18th!

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

– SB-091 by Sen. Romer and Rep. Rice

– HB 1230 by Rep. Summers and Sen. Tapia

– SB-150 by Sen. Heath and Rep. Levy

– Draft bill by Sen. Penry, Sen. Romer and Rep. Scanlon

– Draft bill by Rep. Gagliardi and Sen. Schwartz

– HB 1237 by Rep. Kefalas and Sen. Foster

DENVER AUTO SHOW

– Auto Show Coupon!

UPCOMING SEMINARS

– Upcoming Seminars

– CADA Virtual Seminar: Employer Requirements for New COBRA Subsidy

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
– Upcoming Events

– Green Tie Charity Preview Event

– NADC 5th Annual Member Conference

– Denver International Auto Show

– Dealer Management and Leadership Summit

– CADA Annual Member Golf Event

DEALER MILESTONES,
HIGHLIGHTS & TRANSITIONS

–Share Your Accomplishments

ARCHIVES

CLICK HERE for Open Road
e-newsletter archives.

CLICK HERE for an Index of Regulatory
& Legal Articles from the Open
Road e-newsletter.

CLICK HERE for Bulletin archives.

CLICK HERE for Colorado Auto
Outlook archives.

CLICK HERE for Denver Auto
Outlook archives.

ONLINE REGISTRATION

CLICK HERE to register online
for various CADA seminars & events.

MEMBERSHIP RESOURCES

CLICK HERE for details on the
Speaker and Educational
Resources.

CLICK HERE for a list of current
Endorsed Vendors/Programs.

CLICK HERE for a list of current
Allied Members.

CLICK HERE for an order form for
CADA forms.

CLICK HERE for information on all member services.

www.nada.org

CLICK HERE for NADA
Regulatory Affairs information.

STATE GOVERNMENT RESOURCES

CLICK HERE for the Auto Industry
Division of the Colorado Dept.
of Revenue.

CLICK HERE for the Title and
Registration section of the
Colorado Dept. of Revenue,
Motor Vehicles Division.

CLICK HERE for the Colorado
Department of Labor &
Employment website.

Visit us at www.coloradodealers.org.

CADA Hours of Operation
Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CADA STAFF

CLICK HERE for a CADA staff listing

If you have questions
or suggestions regarding this
e-newsletter, please
contact Lauren Stadler at
lauren.stadler@coloradodealers.org

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ENDORSED VENDOR/PROGRAMS

CLICK HERE for information about the
Endorsed Vendors/Programs.

If you have trouble viewing any of the links or documents in this e-newsletter, please CLICK HERE to access the web-based version.

DENVER AUTO SHOW STARTS TODAY!

April 1st Thru 5th
CLICK HERE for a coupon!

DEALER PARTICIPATION NEEDED: NADA COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS SURVEY

Surveys are DUE by April 15th!

NADA sponsors an annual dealership compensation survey; we strongly encourage you to participate in this nationwide survey designed to collect compensation and benefits data for key dealership employees.  This survey will provide overview information for the Mountain region and also show key compensation metrics in comparison to the rest of the country.   

In 2007 more than 2,500 dealers from 71 state and local associations participated in this survey and the results were published in the NADA Management Guide “PF15 Paying to Motivate Update ‘07”.  The results of this year’s survey, published as “PF16 – Paying to Motivate Update ‘09”, will be mailed to you from NADA for free if you decide to participate!* This publication will also be sold to non-participating members for $150 each and will be available in late summer.  Additionally, Colorado state-specific reports will be provided to all participants; CADA will mail those reports when available.

To complete the survey online click here:  www.nada.org/survey

To obtain a paper copy of the survey CLICK HERE

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS AT A GLANCE

Listed here are several articles pertaining to the
auto industry in general that appeared recently in newspapers and other media outlets across the nation.

NEW I-9 REQUIRED BEGINNING APRIL 3rd, 2009

Beginning Friday, April 3, all employers must use a new I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Form, to verify the identity and work authorization of new hires.  No previous edition of the form will be acceptable. 
 
The new I-9 form is available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website and has a 02/02/09 revision date (note the “Rev. date” is at the bottom of the form; the date of 6/30/09 at the top of the form is an “expiration date”).  The USCIS has also released a new edition of its popular Handbook for Employers. To obtain the new Handbook (Rev. 04/03/09) CLICK HERE. 
 
Employers will notice some major changes to the employment eligibility verification process.  Most significantly, beginning April 3, all documentation offered for I-9 purposes must be unexpired at the time it is presented.  This marks a complete change from existing I-9 procedures.

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OFF-PREMISE PERMITS MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE AUTO SHOW

Auto Industry Division (AID) staff will be on-site at the Denver Auto Show this week. Any dealership sending salespeople to the show must obtain an off-premise permit before the start of the show. Visit the March 18th issue of Open Road for details and a form. Further, the permit needs to be taken to, and available for inspection at the show. AID staff has asked CADA to remind dealership to ensure the off-premise permit is taken to the show, and ideally given to your exhibitor/station coordinator.

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COBRA CONTINUATION ASSISTANCE: DEALERS MAY NEED TO SEND NOTICE LETTERS BY APRIL 18th!
COBRA Continuation Coverage Assistance Under The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act Of 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides for premium reductions and additional election opportunities for health benefits under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, commonly called COBRA. Eligible individuals pay only 35 percent of their COBRA premiums and the remaining 65 percent is reimbursed to the coverage provider through a tax credit. The premium reduction applies to periods of health coverage beginning on or after February 17, 2009 and lasts for up to nine months for those eligible for COBRA during the period beginning September 1, 2008 and ending December 31, 2009 due to an involuntary termination of employment that occurred during that period. The TAA Health Coverage Improvement Act of 2009, enacted as part of ARRA, also made changes with regard to COBRA continuation coverage.

The Department of Labor’s main COBRA page can be found at:
http://www.dol.gov/COBRA
(see bottom of the page for a fact sheet, model notices, and other information for employers)

TRAINING SCHEDULED!

• Additionally, CADA has scheduled a webinar to be conducted by a nationally recognized law firm on April 7th from 10:00am to Noon (MDT). CLICK HERE for more details.

* * * * * * * *

If you have questions on any legal or regulatory topic, please contact:

• Tammi McCoy, Vice Pres., tammi.mccoy@coloradodealers.org, 303.282.1449
• Tim Jackson, President, tim.jackson@coloradodealers.org, 303.282.1448

DISCLAIMER: CADA is not authorized to dispense legal advice.
The information contained in this weekly email is intended to provide important updates and reminders regarding statutes, litigation, and regulations. CADA always advises that dealers should consult legal counsel on the specifics of any laws or regulations to ensure proper compliance

SB-091 BY SEN. ROMER AND REP. RICE

CADA’s Franchise Bill has passed out of the House and Senate and is awaiting signature by Governor Ritter.  The Governor has until April 4th to sign the bill and we have asked for a ceremony to commorate this significant legislative victory.

* * * * * * * *

HB 1230 BY REP. SUMMERS AND SEN. TAPIA

This bill provides a hold harmless for dealers on address discrepancy and refers sales tax jurisdictional issues to the Transportation Legislation Review Commission for their review over the summer.  Bill passed out of House on March 23rd by a vote of 64-0 (with one absent).  Assigned to Senate Transportation Committee and passed unanimously out of the Senate Transportation committee on Tuesday, March 31.

* * * * * * * *

SB-150 BY SEN. HEATH AND REP. LEVY

This bill closes bankruptcy loophole often abused by consumers and protects security interest of dealers and lien holders.  We amended this bill to provide 30 day timeline under which dealers can perfect liens and still get benefits of bill which was originally 20 days.  It passed out of the House of Representatives on Monday, March 30th by a vote of 64-0-1.  The Senate must now concur on the House amendments which should happen this week.  After the concurrence, the bill is headed to Governor Ritter for his signature.

* * * * * * * *

DRAFT BILL BY SEN. PENRY, SEN. ROMER AND REP. SCANLON

Provides tax incentives for fleet vehicles that convert to CNG and gives State of Colorado authority to negotiate for a 10 year hedge on the price of CNG.  Bill also gives State authority to work with Wyoming pipeline authority to extend their existing CNG pipelines into Colorado.  Bill currently only applies to fleet vehicles, but CAR is working to amend bill to allow private consumers to benefit from this bill as well.  Bill has been given late bill status and is not yet introduced.

* * * * * * * *

DRAFT BILL BY REP. GAGLIARDI AND SEN. SCHWARTZ

Provides tax incentives for efficient motor vehicles.  Vehicles covered by this bill include those that meet the CAL-LEV II standards for emissions, light-duty passenger, truck and medium duty truck diesel-electric hybrids, hybrid conversions, CNG, and installation of idling reduction technology.  This bill is from the Governor’s office and part of his legislative agenda.  The bill will be introduced soon.

* * * * * * * *

HB 1237 BY REP. KEFALAS AND SEN. FOSTER

Creates the Colorado Health Care Authority with a 23 member board of directors that will design and create a new Colorado health care system using a phased-in approach.  This is the “single-payer” health care study bill.  The bill passed out of House Business Affairs & Labor committee by a vote of 5-4 (with two absent) on March 18th and is scheduled to be heard in House Appropriations on April 3rd.

* * * * * * * *

Questions or Comments?  Please contact:

Melissa Kuipers – VP of Government Relations and Communication

melissa.kuipers@coloradodealers.org, 303.457.5115

DENVER AUTO SHOW

AUTO SHOW COUPON!

Use this coupon in your marketing campaigns for dealer customers! 

Click on the coupon for a printable version!

CADA VIRTUAL SEMINAR: EMPLOYER REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW COBRA SUBSIDY

Learn what you need to do immediately to meet your new obligations under this act:

• Review the necessary steps to comply with the Act
  

  **Employee notice / eligibility letter deadline is soon:
  April 18th**
  

• Understand how to coordinate administration of the subsidy with COBRA
  administrators, insurers, and other service providers

Speaker: Penny Wofford, Ford & Harrison LLP

CLICK HERE for registration and more information!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009
10:00am to Noon (MST)
Location: This seminar is web-based (listen-in via telephone and view presentation slides and submit questions via your computer; access information will be provided after registration and in advance of the session)

About the Topic:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, enacted on February 17, 2009 as an economic stimulus, mandates a temporary government-funded subsidy of COBRA premiums for certain individuals beginning March 1, 2009. Employers are required to distribute notices to COBRA qualified beneficiaries and, in most cases, absorb or pay for the subsidy in exchange for a credit toward the employer's payroll taxes. Employers are required to take prompt steps to comply.

Employer action is required by April 18th, 2009
What You Will Cover:

• The individuals eligible for the subsidy ("Assistance Eligible Individuals")
• The notices employers are required to provide and the timing for distribution
• The payroll tax credit for the subsidy

• You will learn the steps to complying with the Act
• You will understand how to coordinate administration of the subsidy with COBRA administrators, insurers, and other service providers

Who Should Attend:

• Human resources managers
• Benefits managers
• Personnel responsible for the employer's group health plan(s)
  

CLICK HERE for more information on this training session.

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TO REGISTER ONLINE FOR ANY CADA SEMINAR OR EVENT, PLEASE VISIT: www.coloradodealers.org/registration

LET US KNOW ABOUT YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS!

Have you or anyone else at your dealership won an award recently? Have you or your dealership provided any outstanding community service? We want to recognize such accomplishments. Please send us a brief write-up of the award or event along with any other information to milestones@coloradodealers.org. Also include your contact information for further follow-up.

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