Sponsors (2)
The bill expands repair access and tools for powered mobility devices—improving independence, competition, and lower-cost repairs for people with disabilities and independent repairers—while raising safety/security risks, potential impacts on manufacturer incentives and costs, and enforcement/legal uncertainties that could increase prices or leave some devices unsupported.
People with mobility disabilities and owners of powered mobility devices get faster, lower-cost repairs and reduced downtime because technicians may bypass digital locks and OEMs must provide parts, manuals, firmware, and tools to disable/reset security after legitimate repairs, restoring device functionality and independence.
Independent repair businesses and technicians can legally make, sell, and use diagnostic tools and replacement components and offer repairs on fair terms, increasing competition and likely lowering repair prices for consumers.
The bill clearly defines covered devices to ensure repair rights explicitly apply to motorized wheelchairs and wearable exoskeletons used by people with mobility impairments, reducing ambiguity about who benefits.
People with disabilities and device owners face increased safety and security risks because allowing bypasses and distributing tools/firmware raises the chance of unauthorized access, misuse, or harmful modification of device software.
Manufacturers could lose control over proprietary software revenue streams and related business models, reducing incentives to invest in support and innovation for new devices, which over time could slow improvements or shrink available options.
Manufacturers may face increased compliance, administrative, and potential litigation costs (from meeting disclosure/tool requirements and defending actions), costs that could be passed to consumers through higher device prices.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Allows circumvention of software locks and requires manufacturers to provide parts, software, documentation, and tools needed to diagnose, maintain, and repair powered mobility devices, with FTC and state enforcement.
Introduced August 26, 2025 by Maxwell Frost · Last progress August 26, 2025
Creates a narrow right to repair for powered mobility devices by allowing people and repair providers to bypass device software locks solely to diagnose, maintain, or repair the device, and by forcing manufacturers to provide parts, documentation, software, and tools needed for repair. It defines covered devices, requires manufacturers to notify owners and set up a standard request process within 90 days of enactment, and gives the FTC and state attorneys general authority to enforce the new rules.