Sponsors (3)
The bill expands consumer choice and competition by forcing OEMs to supply parts, tools, and documentation to independent repairers, which should lower repair costs and help small shops, but it creates trade-offs around OEM costs, intellectual-property and security exposure, enforcement complexity, and gaps from broad device exemptions.
Independent repair providers and device owners (homeowners, small repair shops) gain practical access to OEM documentation, parts, and tools on equal or fair terms, enabling more local repairs, increasing competition, and likely lowering repair costs.
Device owners (including lessees) can choose independent or owner repair without being forced into OEM-only service, preserving user control over repairs and device functionality.
Federal and state enforcement is strengthened: the FTC receives explicit statutory authority and rulemaking power and state attorneys general retain the ability to sue over unfair or deceptive practices, enabling coordinated enforcement against noncompliant firms.
Consumers (homeowners, small-business customers) could face higher device prices if OEMs pass along increased compliance, parts-production, or distribution costs required by the law.
Owners and OEMs face intellectual-property and security exposure risks because required disclosures of technical documentation, pairing tools, or security-related information could reveal sensitive details if not tightly limited.
Many categories of products (vehicles, certain medical devices, emergency communications, off‑road equipment) are broadly exempted, leaving owners of those devices without the new repair rights and continuing repair access inequities.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Requires OEMs to provide parts, tools, and documentation for repair to owners and independent repairers on fair and reasonable terms and bans anti‑repair practices.
Official title: To require original equipment manufacturers of digital electronic equipment to make available certain documentation, diagnostic, and repair information to independent repair providers, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 5, 2026 by Joseph Morelle · Last progress February 5, 2026
Requires makers of digital electronic equipment to give device owners and independent repair providers access to documentation, parts, tools, and updates on fair and reasonable terms, and bans tactics that block, degrade, or penalize independent repairs. Creates enforcement authority for the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general, defines key terms and narrow exclusions (including motor vehicles and medical devices), limits certain OEM liabilities, protects trade secrets, and takes effect 60 days after enactment.