The California state Assembly has voted in favor of right-to-repair legislation that would expand consumers’ ability to repair appliances at home. After the bill passes the state Legislature, it will head to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Senate Bill 244 is not the first Right to Repair bill passed by a U.S. state — nor is it California’s first attempt at such legislation. These efforts date back to 2018. But the bill, authored by Senator Susan Eggman, is considered one of the more comprehensive versions of the idea.
The legislation requires manufacturers to “make available, on fair and reasonable terms, the means, as described, to product owners, service and repair facilities and service dealers to perform the diagnosis, maintenance or repair of the product, as provided. ”, regardless of the warranty.
One of its far-reaching consequences is the requirement to make repair manuals available. Such documents have historically been extremely difficult for many to find. This legislation provides much easier access to that material.
It is also “require[s] a service and repair center or service dealer that is not an authorized repairer, as defined, of a manufacturer to provide written notice of that fact to any customer seeking repair of an electronic or appliance product, before the repair center or service dealer repairs the device repairs product, and to disclose whether replacement parts are used that have been used or from a supplier other than the manufacturer.”
It is also striking what the bill does and does not include. In addition to consumer electronics, the law also affects appliance manufacturers – meaning your dishwasher manual will soon be much easier to find. However, there are some important exceptions here, namely gaming consoles and alarm systems.
Late last month, the bill found an unlikely ally in Apple. “Apple supports California’s Right to Repair Act to help all Californians have even more access to repairs while protecting their safety, security and privacy,” the company told TechCrunch at the time. “We build our products to last, and if they ever need repairs, Apple customers have a growing selection of safe, high-quality repair options.”
It was a major vote of confidence from the world’s most profitable company, which also happens to be based in California.