Otis bill would force makers to disclose how long connected devices will be supported

Assemblymember Otis, sponsor of the bill on calendar 2‑80, told colleagues the measure would "simply provide[] that the consumer is informed at time of purchase of how long the company is gonna support those functions" for connected consumer products. The proposal covers physical devices that rely on an internet connection for core functions and would require manufacturers to state a support period, provide six‑month advance notice and notice on the end‑of‑life date, and prohibit reducing a previously stated support commitment.

Members questioning the sponsor pressed for practical limits and unintended consequences. Mister Molitor asked whether the bill would prevent a manufacturer from transferring a product or its support to another firm within a year of the product's stated end‑of‑life; Otis said the provision targets leases and marketing of products a manufacturer knows will be imminently obsolete and said manufacturers remain responsible for commitments made at sale. Lawmakers also queried whether small manufacturers without web infrastructure could comply with the notice requirements and whether the state could face commerce‑clause litigation; Otis said states routinely set consumer protections and noted industry input and an exemption for medical devices aligned with federal law.

The bill ties enforcement to existing remedies under the state's General Business Law and harnesses the Attorney General's current civil‑penalty powers. Otis said civil penalties would track those already available under the general business statute. After extended questioning and discussion of possible legal challenges, the Assembly recorded the required final section and passed the measure on the floor.