Right to Repair bill in Washington legislature
The Repair Association plans to put forward a "Right to Repair" bill in January 2018: Concerning the fair servicing and repair of digital electronic products. Representative Jeff Morris of Bellingham submitted this bill in the House (pre-session, code reviser version (PDF)), which would require manufacturers of electronic equipment to sell repair parts and release service information to consumers. This would "broaden access to the information and tools necessary for repair of digital electronic products, reduce unnecessary disposal, increase consumer control over their own devices, and support a competitive repair market and the increased availability of remanufactured or repaired advanced electronics to create lower cost entry points for consumers to own advanced electronics." Similar legislation has been introduced in 12 other states and is supported by farm groups, non-profit and for-profit recyclers, small business groups, charities, fix-it clinics, appliance repair shops, and locksmiths. Right to Repair laws made headlines in 2017.