Committee Hears ‘Right to Repair’ Bill for Wheelchairs as Users, Providers Describe Long Delays

The Consumer Protection & Business Committee heard public testimony March 18 on Senate Bill 5680, a proposal that would require original equipment manufacturers to make parts, diagnostic tools, embedded software and documentation available on “fair and reasonable terms” to independent repair providers and owners of mobility devices, including power wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs, mobility scooters and power-assist devices.

Megan Mulvihill, staff to the committee, summarized the bill in the staff report and said it is the companion to House Bill 1826 and that the two bills contain no differences. “Senate Bill 5,680 requires an original equipment manufacturer to make available on fair and reasonable terms to any independent repair provider or owner of a mobility device any documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools that are intended for use with the mobility device or any part, including updates,” Mulvihill said.

The bill would also make it a per se violation of the Consumer Protection Act for covered parties to deny required access, with enforcement provided by the state Attorney General, Mulvihill said. The staff report listed several exceptions: manufacturers would not be required to sell parts no longer available, would not have to disclose trade secrets, and the bill would not alter agreements between manufacturers and authorized repair providers.

Why it matters: disability advocates, users and nonprofit…