I think this might be the relevant change (contained in bill S-1 which was substituted in the Regulatory Reform Committee):
"2 (i) Sell any new motor vehicle directly to a retail customer
3 other than through <del>its</del> franchised dealers, unless the retail
4 customer is a nonprofit organization or a federal, state, or local
5 government or agency. This subdivision does not prohibit a
6 manufacturer from providing information to a consumer for the
7 purpose of marketing or facilitating the sale of new motor vehicles
8 or from establishing a program to sell or offer to sell new motor
9 vehicles through the <del>manufacturer's</del> FRANCHISED new motor vehicle
10 dealers THAT SELL AND SERVICE NEW MOTOR VEHICLES PRODUCED BY THE
11 MANUFACTURER."
I think you can have it owned by a different company but with the same leadership as the parent. Isn't this how liability shields work? Lots of different LLCs with the same people at the helm?
It is easy enough to define franchise as having different control than the parent. This is fairly standard. In fact, the bill has some language about franchises not being acquired, owned, or controlled by a manufacturer or any entity in which the manufacturer has a 45% ownership interest.
"2 (i) Sell any new motor vehicle directly to a retail customer 3 other than through <del>its</del> franchised dealers, unless the retail 4 customer is a nonprofit organization or a federal, state, or local 5 government or agency. This subdivision does not prohibit a 6 manufacturer from providing information to a consumer for the 7 purpose of marketing or facilitating the sale of new motor vehicles 8 or from establishing a program to sell or offer to sell new motor 9 vehicles through the <del>manufacturer's</del> FRANCHISED new motor vehicle 10 dealers THAT SELL AND SERVICE NEW MOTOR VEHICLES PRODUCED BY THE 11 MANUFACTURER."
Link to the passage of the bill: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(zkgdwb45ddzp3imtvsszat55))/...
Link to the substitute bill: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(zkgdwb45ddzp3imtvsszat55))/...