A bipartisan piece of legislation may be in the works that would make the right to repair a nationwidefederal mandate.
For year, Apple has done what it could to prevent users and independent repair shops from fixing iPhones. The tech giant has incorporated special screws, difficult-to-replace adhesive, and even software lockouts to keep a grip on the iPhone repair business. Many other electronics manufacturers do the same, but the Right to Repair movement hopes to change that.
The bill could also extend to agricultural and medical equipment, as manufacturers often design their products so that customers need specialized parts, tools, and information to effectively repair their purchases.
Earlier in 2022, Sen. John Tester (D-MT) introduced a bill targeting farm equipment. A 2020 bill looks to do the same for medical equipment. Now, a bipartisan trio of Senators have introduced a new bill that’s the first broadly-focused Right to Repair bill to reach the Senate floor.
On March 14, Senators Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced Senate Bill 3830, the Fair Repair Act. If passed and signed into law, the bill will require Apple and other electronics manufacturers “make available certain documentation, diagnostic, and repair information to independent repair providers, and for other purposes.”
Apple has already initiated a Self Service Repair Program, which operates on a limited scope. Only a handful of newer devices currently qualify for it, and it also requires the customer purchase the required parts from Apple, rather than allowing local and regional repair shops to do so.
The Right to Repair movement has already picked up steam in terms of state support. Dozens of states have introduced legislation that would require electronics manufacturers such as Apple make their devices more readily reparable by consumers and small business repair shops.
While the Federal Trade Commission has already begun an investigation into the issue, president Joe Biden recently issued an executive order to improve the landscape for electronics repairs by consumers and smaller repair shops.
As of now, it’s up to the Senate to discuss and pass the bill, the House of Representatives to ratify it, and the President to sign it into law, which could take some time.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via The Mac Observer and congress.gov