PETROLEUM MARKETING PRACTICES ACT AN ACT To provide for the protection of franchised distributors and retailers of motor fuel and to encourage conservation of automotive gasoline and competition in the marketing of such gasoline by requiring that information regarding the octane rating of automotive gasoline be disclosed to consumers. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Petroleum Marketing Practices Act". [15 U.S.C. 2801 note] Sec. 101. Definitions. TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE I-FRANCHISE PROTECTION Sec. 102. Franchise relationship; termination and nonrenewal. Sec. 105. Enforcement. Sec. 106. Relationship of this title to State law. TITLE II-OCTANE DISCLOSURE Sec. 201. Definitions. Sec. 202. Octane testing and disclosure requirements. Sec. 204. Relationship of this title to State law. Sec. 205. Effective dates. TITLE III-STUDY OF SUBSIDIZATION OF MOTOR FUEL MARKETING Sec. 301. Study of subsidization of motor fuel marketing. TITLE I-FRANCHISE PROTECTION DEFINITIONS SEC. 101. As used in this title: (1)(A) The term "franchise" means any contract (i) between a refiner and a distributor, (ii) between a refiner and a retailer, (iii) between a distributor and another distributor, or under which a refiner or distributor (as the case may be) authorizes or permits a retailer or distributor to use, in connection with the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel, a trademark which is owned or controlled by such refiner or by a refiner which supplies motor fuel to the distributor which authorizes or permits such use. (B) The term "franchise" includes— (i) any contract under which a retailer or distributor (as the case may be) is authorized or permitted to occupy leased marketing premises, which premises are to be employed in connection with the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel under a trademark which is owned or controlled by such refin er or by a refiner which supplies motor fuel to the distributor which authorizes or permits such occupancy; (ii) any contract pertaining to the supply of motor fuel which is to be sold, consigned or distributed or (I) under a trademark owned or controlled by a refiner; (II) under a contract which has existed continuously since May 15, 1973, and pursuant to which, on May 15, 1973, motor fuel was sold, consigned or distributed under a trademark owned or controlled on such date by a refiner; and (iii) the unexpired portion of any franchise, as defined by the preceding provisions of this paragraph, which is transferred or assigned as authorized by the provisions of such franchise or by any applicable provision of State law which permits such transfer or assignment without regard to any provision of the franchise. (2) The term "franchise relationship" means the respective motor fuel marketing or distribution obligations and reponsibilities of a franchisor and a franchisee which result from the marketing of motor fuel under a franchise. (3) The term "franchisor" means a refiner or distributor (as the case may be) who authorizes or permits, under a franchise, a retailer or distributor to use a trademark in connection with the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel. (4) The term "franchisee" means a retailer or distributor (as the case may be) who is authorized or permitted, under a franchise, to use a trademark in connection with the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel. (5) The term "refiner" means any person engaged in the refining of crude oil to produce motor fuel, and includes any affiliate of such person. (6) The term "distributor" means any person, including any affiliate of such person, who (A) purchases motor fuel for sale, consignment, or distribution to another; or (B) receives motor fuel on consignment for consignment or distribution to his own motor fuel accounts or to accounts of his supplier, but shall not include a person who is an employee of, or merely serves as a common carrier providing transportation service for, such supplier. (7) The term "retailer" means any person who purchases motor fuel for sale to the general public for ultimate consumption. (8) The term "marketing premises" means, in the case of any franchise, premises which, under such franchise, are to be employed by the franchisee in connection with the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel. (9) The term "leased marketing premises" means marketing premises owned, leased, or in any way controlled by a franshisor and which the franchisee is authorized or permitted, under the franchise, to employ in connection with the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel. (10) The term "contract" means any oral or written agreement. For supply purposes, delivery levels during the same month of the previous year shall be prima facie evidence of an agreement to deliver such levels. (11) The term "trademark" means any trademark, trade name, service mark, or other identifying symbol or name. (12) The term "motor fuel" means gasoline and diesel fuel of a type distributed for use as a fuel in self-propelled vehicles designed primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways. (13) The term "failure" does not include (A) any failure which is only technical or unimportant to the franchise relationship; or (B) any failure for a cause beyond the reasonable control of the franchisee. (14) The terms "fail to renew" and "nonrenewal" mean, with respect to any franchise relationship, a failure to reinstate, continue, or extend the franchise relationship (A) at the conclusion of the term, or on the expiration date, stated in the relevant franchise; (B) at any time, in the case of the relevant franchise which does not state a term of duration or an expiration date; or (C) following a termination (on or after the date of enactment of this Act) of the relevant franchise which was entered into prior to such date of enactment and has not been renewed after such date. (15) The term "affiliate" means any person who (other than by means of a franchise) controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, any other person. (16) The term "relevant geographic market area" includes a State or a standard metropolitan statistical area as periodically established by the Office of Management and Budget. (17) The term "termination" includes cancellation. (18) The term "commerce" means any trade, traffic, transportation, exchange, or other commerce (A) between any State and any place outside of such State; or (B) which affects any trade, transportation, exchange, or other commerce described in subparagraph (A). (19) The term "State" means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and any other commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States. [15 U.S.C. 2801] FRANCHISE RELATIONSHIP; TERMINATION AND NONRENEWAL SEC. 102. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) and section 103, no franchisor engaged in the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel in commerce may (1) terminate any franchise (entered into or renewed on or after the date of enactment of this Act) prior to the conclusion of the term, or the expiration date, stated in the franchise; or (2) fail to renew any franchise relationship (without regard to the date on which the relevant franchise was entered into or renewed). (b)(1) Any franchisor may terminate any franchise (entered into or renewed on or after the date of enactment of this Act) or may fail to renew any franchise relationship, if— (A) the notification requirements of section 104 are met; and (B) such termination is based upon a ground described in paragraph (2) or such nonrenewal is based upon a ground described in paragraph (2) or (3). (2) For purposes of this subsection, the following are grounds for termination of a franchise or nonrenewal of a franchise relationship: (A) A failure by the franchisee to comply with any provision of the franchise, which provision is both reasonable and of material signficance to the franchise relationship, if the franchisor first acquired actual or constructive knowledge of such fail ure (i) not more than 120 days prior to the date on which notification of termination or nonrenewal is given, if notification is given pursuant to section 104(a); or (ii) not more than 60 days prior to the date on which notification of termination or nonrenewal is given, if less than 90 days notification is given pursuant to section 104(b)(1). (B) A failure by the franchisee to exert good faith efforts to carry out the provisions of the franchise, if (i) the franchisee was apprised by the franchisor in writing of such failure and was afforded a reasonable opportunity to exert good faith efforts to carry out such provisions; and (ii) such failure thereafter continued within the period which began not more than 180 days before the date notification of termination or nonrenewal was given pursuant to section 104. (C) The occurrence of an event which is relevant to the franchise relationship and as a result of which termination of the franchise or nonrenewal of the franchise relationship is reasonable, if such event occurs during the period the franchise is in effect and the franchisor first acquired actual or constructive knowledge of such occurrence (i) not more than 120 days prior to the date on which notification of termination or nonrenewal is given, if notification is given pursuant to section 104(a); or (ii) not more than 60 days prior to the date on which notification of termination or nonrenewal is given, if less than 90 days notification is given pursuant to section 104(b)(1). (D) An agreement, in writing, between the franchisor and the franchisee to terminate the franchise or not to renew the franchise relationship, if— (i) such agreement is entered into not more than 180 days prior to the date of such termination or, in the case of nonrenewal, not more than 180 days prior to the conclusion of the term, or the expiration date, stated in the franchise; (ii) the franchisee is promptly provided with a copy of such agreement, together with the summary statement described in section 104(d); and (iii) within 7 days after the date on which the franchisee is provided a copy of such agreement, the franchisee has not posted by certified mail a written notice to the franchisor repudiating such agreement. (E) In the case of any franchise entered into prior to the date of the enactment of this Act and in the case of any franchise entered into or renewed on or after such date (the term of which is 3 years or longer, or with respect to which the franchisee was offered a term of 3 years or longer), a determination made by the franchisor in good faith and in the normal course of business to withdraw from the marketing of motor fuel through retail outlets in the relevent geographic market area in which the marketing premises are located, if— (i) such determination (I) was made after the date such franchise was entered into or renewed, and (II) was based upon the occurrence of changes in relevant facts and circumstances after such date; (ii) the termination or nonrenewal is not for the purpose of converting the premises, which are the subject of the franchise, to operation by employees or agents of the franchisor for such franchisor's own account; and (iii) in the case of leased marketing premises (I) the franchisor, during the 180-day period after notification was given pursuant to section 104, either made a bona fide offer to sell, transfer, or assign to the franchisee such franchisor's interests in such premises, or, if applicable, offered the franchisee a right of first refusal of at least 45 days duration of an offer, made by another, to purchase such franchisor's interest in such premises; or (II) in the case of the sale, transfer, or assignment to another person of the franchisor's interest in such premises in connection with the sale, transfer, or assignment to such other person of the franchisor's interest in one or more other marketing premises, if such other person offers, in good faith, a franchise to the franchisee on terms and conditions which are not discriminatory to the franchisee as compared to franchises then currently being offered by such other person or franchises then in effect and with respect to which such other person is the franchisor. (3) For purposes of this subsection, the following are grounds for nonrenewal of a franchise relationship: (A) The failure of the franchisor and the franchisee to agree to changes or additions to the provisions of the franchise, if— (i) such damages or additions are the result of determinations made by the franchisor in good faith and in the normal course of business; and (ii) such failure is not the result of the franchisor's insistence upon such changes or additions for the purpose of preventing the renewal of the franchise relationship. (B) The receipt of numerous bona fide customer complaints by the franchisor concerning the franchisee's operation of the marketing premises, if— |