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Committee considers right-to-repair bill to speed wheelchair and mobility-device repairs
Summary
Assembly Bill 407 would require original equipment manufacturers to make documentation, parts and tools available on fair and reasonable terms so independent repair providers and owners can repair personal mobility devices without undue delay, advocates said the change would restore independence for people who rely on wheelchairs.
Assemblymember Tracy Brown May and users of personal mobility devices told the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor that Assembly Bill 407 would give owners and independent repair providers access to documentation, parts, embedded software and tools needed to repair personal mobility devices on fair and reasonable terms.
Why this matters: advocates and families said lengthy wait times for manufacturer-only repairs have left wheelchair users without mobility for months, disrupting employment, therapy and daily life. Presenters described the bill as limited to personal mobility devices (wheelchairs and similar equipment) and modeled after repair-rights laws enacted in other states.
Personal stories and the proposal
Connor Fogle, a mobility-device user who testified, described waiting months for parts and repairs and the effect of being without a powered wheelchair on employment and daily independence. “When that wheelchair breaks, life stops for him,” Pam Berek, a parent and disability advocate, told the committee about her son’s experience; she said repairs had taken more than six months in one instance. Advocates said a typical manual wheelchair substitute is not a workable alternative for many users because devices are custom-configured.
Assemblymember Brown May said the bill focuses narrowly on personal mobility devices. The measure would require original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to provide on fair and reasonable terms the documentation, replacement parts, embedded software, firmware and tools necessary for repair; bar retaliation against independent repair providers; and include liability protections for manufacturers who supply parts and documentation.
Support and concerns
Small-business and disability-advocacy groups, including the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, providers of services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and local repair-business advocates testified in support, saying the law would restore timely access to repairs. Several witnesses said the change is needed to avoid months-long delays that leave people immobile.
The committee had no recorded opposition callers in the transcript; questions from senators focused on how the market currently operates, warranty concerns and whether independent providers and repair networks can scale to meet demand.
Ending
Supporters asked the committee to advance the bill to provide timely repairs and preserve independence for Nevadans who rely on mobility devices; no committee vote is recorded in the transcript.
