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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 19, 2016 01:30 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Vanessa Lowery Brown |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Early Termination of Leasing Agreements for Certain Transportation Network Company Drivers |
| In the near future, I will be introducing legislation to further provide for the regulation of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, throughout Pennsylvania. In light of the need for our General Assembly to expedite the process of establishing a basic regulatory framework for TNCs operating in Pennsylvania, we must now confront the fact that there are several matters of import concerning the subjects of “leasing” and “driver-protections” that have not been comprehensively addressed in Senate Bill 984 of the 2015/16 Legislative Session. Specifically, my legislation would prohibit a transportation network company (TNC) or its assignee, from charging an early termination fee or penalty to an individual who may, subsequent to entering into a vehicle lease agreement with the transportation network company or its assignee, suffers a chronic or life-debilitating illness/condition, as certified by a physician, that physically prevents the individual from performing services as a transportation network company driver. To be clear, this provision would not be applicable to any lessee that has sustained a life-debilitating condition as a result of that individual’s participation in the commission of a crime. The premise of this legislation is to ensure that those who are unable to drive due to chronic health reasons are not unfairly locked into a contractual obligation that they literally cannot physically fulfill. At this writing, the only scenario where a lease can be terminated without penalty is if the lessee dies. Therefore, I ask that my colleagues please join me as a co-sponsor of this very important and commonsense legislation. For more information regarding this legislation, please contact Brandon Flood at 717-772-6955 or bflood@pahouse.net. |