Committee weighs right-to-repair expansion for electric wheelchairs and complex rehab technology amid safety debate

The House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held a lengthy public hearing April 24 on Senate Bill 550, which would add electric wheelchairs and complex rehabilitation technology (CRT) to the equipment covered by Oregon’s Right to Repair law. Proponents said the bill would reduce long repair delays that impede health and independence; manufacturers and some providers urged a narrowly targeted exemption for clinically sensitive components.

State Senator Janine Solomon (introduced in testimony as the bill sponsor) told the committee that long wait times for repairs leave users unable to leave home or work and that SB 550 would make the same diagnostic tools, parts and documentation available on fair and reasonable terms to owners and independent repair providers. Representative Courtney Nieron also testified in support and said the measure would expand choices for repair while preserving privacy and safety protections in…