Committee advances sweeping right‑to‑repair draft after wide stakeholder debate

The committee voted to move forward with an amended right‑to‑repair draft (26 LSO 60) that would require original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to make documentation, embedded software, parts and tools available on fair and reasonable terms for diagnosing, maintaining and repairing covered digital electronic equipment sold, made or used in Wyoming on or after July 1, 2026.

Talies Hansen, staff attorney, said the draft was modeled largely on Oregon’s 2024 statute and was the product of a working group. The draft includes definitions for authorized and independent repair providers, parts pairing, embedded software, and carve‑outs for trade secrets, equipment the manufacturer no longer supplies, and other narrow public‑safety exceptions. Staff noted the committee could add a definition for video game consoles and that the bill excludes agricultural equipment by design after discussions with farm stakeholders.

Public testimony was robust and polarized. Independent repair advocates (represented by Kyle Wiens of repair.org and iFixit) and consumer advocates urged broad access to parts, tools, and documentation to preserve repair options and lower costs for consumers. Tech sector witnesses (Cisco, CTA, TechNet) and some manufacturers urged narrower scope and additional security and safety safeguards — especially for enterprise, networking, critical infrastructure and medical devices; they requested carve‑outs for equipment used in critical infrastructure and law‑enforcement or life‑safety systems. Alarm and security industry groups (Electronic Security Association, Monitoring Association, NRG/Vivint) asked explicitly for a security/life‑safety exemption; they said disclosure of certain codes or schematics could create safety risks.

The draft contains a written‑notice provision, a trade‑secret protection clause, and a list of explicit exemptions (including medical devices and some other safety‑critical products); it also provides that violations of the access provisions are unlawful deceptive trade practices. Committee members debated scope and whether to permit OEMs to provide equivalent replacement devices instead of repair parts, and whether to limit owner access while protecting security data.

During committee action, members adopted multiple friendly amendments, including limiting the bill’s application to owned equipment rather than leased devices and narrowing the requirement to provide parts and security‑override details to owners (removal of “independent repair provider” from a narrow lock‑reset provision). Members also added a supremacy‑clause style line clarifying that the statute would not apply to the extent it conflicts with federal law.

After debate the committee voted to carry the bill as amended (roll call: 7 ayes, 1 excused). Staff said the bill will be printed as amended and is slated for further drafting and potential sponsorship; members noted further work may be needed on definitions and the list of exemptions before session.

The vote moves Wyoming into a growing group of states considering right‑to‑repair statutes but leaves open detailed carve‑outs for security‑sensitive equipment and for situations where manufacturers provide equivalent replacement devices.