10 States Introduce Right to Repair Legislation

2024 is only a few days old, but 10 states have already introduced right to repair legislation. Also: Massachusetts Senate passes wheelchair right to repair law. And: tell the FTC you support repair!   2023 was the most successful year yet for those advocating for a legal right to repair, with four U.S. states passing versions of right to repair legislation, and the EU also expanding laws designed to encourage repair and reuse.

By all accounts, 2024 may see even more progress. Less than a week into the New Year, 10 states have already introduced right to repair legislation of various kinds – an indication that the momentum behind pro-repair laws remains strong.   As of Thursday, legislators in the states of Alaska, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington had introduced right to repair bills in at least one chamber of their legislature. Many of those bills were carried over from the last legislative session, which saw thirty-three states and Puerto Rico consider right to repair legislation during the legislative session, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, there are some net-new proposed laws, including some new flavors of R2R legislation such as the proposed New Hampshire legislation ensuring a right to repair educational equipment.

• The bills introduced so far include:
  Alaska: Senate Bill 112 (SB 112), an omnibus right to repair bill carried over from last session. As currently written, it covers all categories of devices, with a carve-out for automobiles
  (which are covered under Massachusetts’ law and a corresponding industry MOU).
• Indiana: Senate Bill 53 (SB 53), a bill covering both consumer electronics and farm equipment.
• Massachusetts Senate Bill 2478 (S2478), a narrowly tailored bill covering just portable, handheld electronics. This was carried over from 2023, when it passed out of a joint House and Senate committee on Consumer Protection.
• Michigan House Bill 4673(HB 4673), also carried over from the previous legislative session, this bill is focused on the right to repair farm equipment.
• Missouri House Bill 1618(HB 1618), this new bill would cover all electronic devices, with a carve out for automobiles. (See above.)
• New Hampshire House Bill 1701(HB1701), this bill – a new flavor of right to repair legislation – applies only to educational technology equipment, which is defined as “any self-contained portable personal computer, including accessories or attachments that come as standard equipment with the computer, purchased by a publicly-funded school and used by students at home or in the classroom.”
• Ohio Senate Bill 273(SB 273), this bill which was carried over from 2023 covers all categories of electronic devices with carve outs for automobiles, farm and forestry equipment and medical equipment.
• Pennsylvania Senate Bill 744(SB744), this bill was carried over from the previous legislative session and covers all devices with carve outs for automobiles, medical devices, and outdoor power equipment, farming equipment, as well as yard and construction equipment.
• Vermont House Bill 81(81), this bill was carried from the last legislative session, when it passed through the Vermont House and is pending in the State Senate. It covers farm and forestry equipment.
• Washington House Bill 1933(HB 1933), this bill covers consumer and enterprise electronics, farm equipment and power wheelchairs.