California Passes the Nation’s Strongest Right-to-Repair Bill
California joins Minnesota and New York in passing right-to-repair legislation in a unanimous vote by the state’s legislators.
Right-to-repair has been gaining traction across the US, with some tech companies throwing their weight behind such efforts. According to Quartz, California passed the legislation with a 50-0 vote in the Assembly and a 38-0 vote in the Senate.
Nathan Proctor, senior director of PIRG’s Right-to-Repair Campaign, welcomed the decision:
Even in the home state of Big Tech, repair is a winning idea. It just makes sense — people should be able to fix their stuff. It’s better for the planet and it saves money. Californians are going to be fixing a lot more, too, because their state Assembly just passed the strongest consumer Right to Repair bill yet. The bar keeps going up.
We are surrounded by effectively disposable gadgets. But that should change soon. While manufacturers have spent many years frustrating repair technicians and opposing Right to Repair legislation, thankfully, many, notably Apple, have come around. That’s good news, because as important as this legislation is, we have more to do if we want a more sustainable relationship with the electronics that power our modern lives. This California bill, a result of an incredible campaign by our allies and our legislative champion, state Sen. Susan Eggman, gives me hope that we can create a more fixable world.
Dozens of other states are considering right-to-repair bills this year, but the bill passing in California — home to the bulk of the tech industry — may prove to be the turning point to widespread adoption.
