New York State Congress passed the first "maintenance right" bill covering electronic products in the United States 。 The fair repair Act requires all manufacturers selling "digital electronic products" in the state to provide tools, parts and repair instructions to consumers and independent stores. After passing the parliament, the bill also needs to be signed by the governor Kathy hochul, and takes effect one year after signing.
The organization represented by ifixit and advocating users' self repair expressed appreciation for the new act and called it "a great leap in maintenance" in the official blog.
"For users who want to repair their own products, the passage of the bill means that the repair should become cheaper and more comprehensive. In the past, manufacturers could promote consumers to use the stores authorized by the manufacturers. Now they must compete," the blog wrote.
The move comes after the federal government continues to press consumers to have the right to repair and refurbish the goods they buy. Last year, President Joe Biden issued an executive order calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce maintenance rights, which was praised by the majority of incoming members.
New York is not the first state to pass a maintenance rights act, but it is the first such act to be widely applied to electronic products. A previous law in Massachusetts focused on automobile data. Earlier this year, Colorado passed a bill to ensure the right to repair electric wheelchairs. The wording of the New York act does include exceptions to household appliances, medical equipment and agricultural equipment - the last one is a special flashpoint for advocates.