SALT LAKE CITY — Rejected Chrysler dealers in Utah are one step closer to reclaiming their franchise rights and perhaps recouping some losses after the Motor Vehicle Dealer Franchise Amendments bill was passed by the state's House of Representatives.

The bill has now been sent to Gov. Gary Herbert for his signature, according to various news reports.

Basically, the bill — SB 157 — allows dealers who win arbitration to not only regain their franchise licenses, but provides them a way to take legal action against Chrysler for damages, various reports pointed out.

It passed the House on Tuesday with a 72-0 vote and three representatives were either absent or did not vote, according to the Utah legislature's Web site.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Curt Bramble, was first introduced in the Senate on Feb. 22 before being passed into the House on Friday and had its first reading there on Monday.

"These are dealers who have invested millions and millions of dollars and were damaged by this ill-conceived plan," House Majority Leader Kevin Garn was quoted in a news report. "They ought to have an opportunity to recover some of that investment they've made."

The bill was also slated to cover General Motors dealers; however, these auto professionals were already recently reinstated.