State Attorneys General Advocate for Right-to-Repair Legislation

On March 24, 2023, the attorneys general of twenty-eight states sent a joint letter urging Congress to pass expansive Right-to-Repair legislation that would prevent original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) of automobiles, agricultural equipment, and digital electronic equipment from creating products as a closed system that cannot be repaired by independent or “mom-and-pop” providers.  

Over the last few decades, OEMs have sought to restrict competition for repair services by controlling access to electronics embedded in their products.  They have also been found to use proprietary repair materials, decline to publish repair documentation, and glue parts together.  The Right-to-Repair legislation would help put a stop to this anticompetitive conduct and would ensure that consumers have choices as to who, where, when, and at what cost their vehicles and equipment can be repaired.