On March 24, a bipartisan group of 27 state attorneys general sent a letter to Congress, encouraging the passage of “right-to-repair” legislation to establish and secure a competitive marketplace for repairing vehicles, agricultural equipment, and electronics.

According to letter, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have made it increasingly more burdensome for consumers to repair electronics, vehicles, and other equipment. Companies accomplish this by using proprietary materials, refusing to publish repair documentation, and limiting the availability of these parts and tools. The state AGs allege that these practices allow OEMs to “monopolize certain repair markets and/or raise prices with impunity.”

Currently, three bills before Congress seek to address these issues: the Fair Repair Act (HR 4006), the Saving Money on Auto Repair Transportation Act (SMART Act/HR 3664), and the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act (REPAIR Act/HR 6570). The Fair Repair Act would require OEMs to publish certain documents and make available tools necessary to repair products, while the SMART Act would allow repair shops to use alternative or off-brand parts to repair vehicles. Finally, the REPAIR Act would prevent OEMs from mandating the use of specific brands for parts, tools, and equipment on vehicles.

Why It Matters

This bipartisan letter demonstrates state AGs’ continued focus on the right-to-repair issue, which we closely follow.