Does the Washington Franchise Investment Protection Act affect the provisions summarized in Item 17 of the Best Brains Franchise Disclosure Document?

According to Best Brains' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Washington Franchise Investment Protection Act does affect the provisions summarized in Item 17 of the Franchise Disclosure Document. Specifically, Item 23 includes a Washington Addendum to the Franchise Agreement that addresses conflicts of law. If a conflict arises, the provisions of the Washington Franchise Investment Protection Act, chapter 19.100 RCW, will take precedence.

The addendum explicitly states that franchise agreement provisions, including those summarized in Item 17 of the Franchise Disclosure Document, are subject to state law. This means that any terms in the franchise agreement that contradict Washington state law may be superseded or deemed unenforceable in Washington.

Furthermore, the Best Brains FDD states that any provision in the franchise agreement or related agreements that prohibits a franchisee from communicating with or complaining to regulators is inconsistent with the express instructions in the Franchise Disclosure Document and is unlawful under RCW 19.100.180(2)(h). This ensures that franchisees in Washington are free to communicate with regulatory bodies without fear of reprisal from Best Brains.