30 states considering Right to Repair so far in 2024

As wins mount, interest in Right to Repair continues to grow

CBS CO | Public Domain
CBS News Colorado covers the Right to Repair hearing in Colorado, where CoPIRG’s Danny Katz (at mic), chief sponsor of the Right to Repair legislation Rep. Brianna Titone (right), Wayne Seltzer of Boulder’s UFixit Clinic all testified for the measure.

Tired of unfixable gadgets, Americans are pushing for reforms that require manufacturers to share their repair materials with consumers and local independent repair shops. So far in 2024, 30 states have introduced or carried over Right to Repair legislation all across the country. 

Here are some highlights: 

Oregon governor signs strongest legislation to date 

On March 27, Gov. Tina Kotek signed Oregon’s Right to Repair bill into law, making Oregon the fourth state to enact Right to Repair rules for consumer electronics, including appliances, laptops and cell phones. Oregon’s bill is the first in the nation to ban manufacturers from using software to prevent technicians from fully installing spare parts, a practice called “parts pairing.” 

Colorado continues its Right to Repair leadership as their bill passes the House

Colorado lawmakers have passed Right to Repair legislation in each of the last two sessions — a bill to protect wheelchair users’ Right to Repair in 2022, followed by a Right to Repair for farmers bill last year. This year they are back with a broad Right to Repair bill covering personal and business electronics — which passed out of the House in March, and will be heard in the Senate soon. 

Momentum grows in Pennsylvania

After I testified at a hearing in Harrisburg on March 25, I was invited to join local Philadelphia’s NPR station, WHYY, for a live call-in segment on Right to Repair

Motorcyclists want Right to Repair, too 

Missouri lawmakers have introduced the first Right to Repair bill specific to motorcycles, which was considered at a hearing on March 26. The Motorcycles Riders Foundation and other groups support the measure.

Here is the full rundown of bills introduced or carried over so far in 2024: 

  1. Alaska – SB 112, which covers all products using digital electronics except cars. The bill was carried over from 2023.
  2. Alabama – HB 261, which covers farm equipment.
  3. Arizona – SB1536, which covers consumer electronics. 
  4. California – SB 1384, which covers powered wheelchairs. 
  5. Colorado – HB1121, which expands existing law (for wheelchairs and farm equipment) to consumer devices and business computing.
  6. Connecticut – SB 3 – An omnibus consumer protection measure with consumer device Right to Repair incorporated into the larger package. 
  7. Delaware – HB41, a broad template bill which covers a broad range of devices, but excludes farm equipment.
  8. Hawaii – SB2700, which covers consumer devices such as home appliances, personal electronics, and farming equipment, among others. 
  9. Illinois – SB 2669, which covers farm equipment, and SB 2680 for consumer electronics. 
  10. Indiana – SB 53, which covers electronics and farm equipment, and HB 1155, concerning farm equipment. 
  11. Kentucky – HB 698, which covers farm equipment. 
  12. Massachusetts – S2478, which covers handheld devices. 
  13. Maine – LD1487, a broad right to repair bill, narrowed to cover consumer electronics by committee. 
  14. Michigan – HB 4673, concerning farm equipment, which carried over from 2023 and SB 686, a broad template bill which exempts only cars.
  15. Minnesota – HF 4418 and SF 4407, which build on existing law, remove some exemptions and add other protections. HF 4800 and SF 5318, which cover farm equipment. 
  16. Missouri – HB 1618, which concerns all electronic devices except for cars and HB 2041, a broad template bill. Lawmakers have also put forward a bill covering farm equipment (HB 2475), legislation that includes all electronics except medical equipment and alarm systems (SB 1472), and a motorcycle Right to Repair bill (HB 2800). 
  17. Mississippi – SB2005, which covers farm equipment. 
  18. New Hampshire – HB1701, which covers educational technology such as school-provided laptops. 
  19. New Jersey – S1723, a broad template bill which exempts only cars. 
  20. New York – S8492 and A8955, which roll back a set of loopholes in New York’s existing Right to Repair measure. 
  21. Ohio – SB 273, which covers everything except cars, farm and forestry equipment and medical equipment. Carried over from 2023. 
  22. Oklahoma – HB3823, a broad template measure, directs the attorney general to determine which products are covered. 
  23. Oregon – SB 1596, which covers all consumer electronics. 
  24. Pennsylvania – SB744, which covers digital electronic equipment. Cars, medical devices, and outdoor power, farming, yard and construction equipment are excluded. This bill was carried over from 2023. 
  25. Rhode Island – H7095 which covers everything with a microchip, a bill covering farm equipment (H7229),  and a wheelchair bill (S2840). 
  26. Tennessee – SB 2035 and HB 2029, are both farm right to repair bills and HB 1470, which relates to wheelchairs. 
  27. Utah – SB 269, which concerns farm equipment. 
  28. Vermont – H.81 which covers farm and forestry equipment was carried over from 2023, when it passed the House. There is also a wheelchair bill being considered (H.656). 
  29. Washington – HB 1933 covers consumer and enterprise electronics, farm equipment and power wheelchairs. There is a Senate companion, SB 6276
  30. West Virginia – SB 306, which covers farm, forestry and lawn equipment, passed the Senate in February. HB 4605 is also being considered and covers farm equipment. 
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Authors

Nathan Proctor

Senior Director, Campaign for the Right to Repair, PIRG

Nathan leads U.S. PIRG’s Right to Repair campaign, working to pass legislation that will prevent companies from blocking consumers’ ability to fix their own electronics. Nathan lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with his wife and two children.