RELEASE: Washington state legislature passes the Right to Repair for electronics, appliances and mobility equipment

In a landmark win, the Washington House and Senate is sending two bills protecting the Right to Repair to the governor, one for electronic devices and home appliances and another for wheelchairs with overwhelming bipartisan support.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington will soon become the eighth state in the country to pass Right to Repair legislation. The two bills, if signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson, will protect Washingtonians’ rights to repair their consumer electronic devices, such as laptops, cellphones and home appliances, and wheelchairs. 

The Washington state Senate approved the Right to Repair for consumer electronics and appliances (HB 1483) by a strong bipartisan vote of 48-1 on April 10, following a similar near-unanimous vote through the House on March 4. The Right to Repair bill for wheelchairs and mobility devices (SB 5680) also passed both chambers with unanimous votes. Next, Gov. Ferguson has 20 days to sign the bills into law once they are delivered to his desk.

The legislation will help make repair more accessible by requiring manufacturers to provide access to the parts, tools and information used to fix electronic devices. Currently, many manufacturers restrict access to repair materials and provide them only to “authorized” service centers. Washington will also join Oregon and Colorado to ban manufacturers from using software to prevent technicians from fully installing spare parts, a practice called “parts pairing.”

“The Right to Repair Act is about fairness, affordability, and putting power back into the hands of everyday Washingtonians,” said state Rep. Mia Gregerson, chief sponsor of HB 1483. “Whether it’s a smartphone or a household device, people deserve access to the tools, parts and information needed to repair devices they’ve already paid for.” 

The near-unanimous bipartisan vote for HB 1483 comes after an outpouring of support for the Right to Repair from the public, businesses and organizations. Last summer, WashPIRG ran a door-to-door canvassing campaign to support Right to Repair, collecting more than 1,400 petition signatures in favor of the legislation.

“As our canvassers and I knocked on thousands of doors for the Right to Repair, it became evident that Washingtonians are fed-up and frustrated with repair restrictions on their electronic devices and appliances,” said Kathryn Horvath, Zero Waste Associate with WashPIRG. “Thanks to our incredible coalition of fixers, tinkerers and makers, we’ve been able to deliver real results for Washingtonians who will soon have the right to fix their stuff.”

The consumer electronics bill had the support of 60 local repair shops from across Washington; a range of consumer, environmental and other advocates; and manufacturers — including both Google and Microsoft. 

“Right to repair is truly zero-waste, because it helps reduce the impacts of extracting resources and manufacturing when people are able to keep their computers, cell phones, refrigerators and other appliances in working order for much longer,” said Heather Trim, Executive Director of Zero Waste Washington. “Saving money and being able to repair your own items is supported across party lines as shown by the strong bipartisan votes.” 

SB 5680’s victory for wheelchair users is in large part due to the advocacy by members of Disability Rights Washington, the Here and Now Project, and others.

“I spent seven months in a wheelchair that would turn itself off without warning and refuse to start for varying periods of time. I found out after the chair was scrapped that it should have been an easy fix,” said Marsha Cutting, a member of the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment. “This bill would have allowed me to fix my wheelchair instead of having to wait for several months. I’m grateful for the years of work on Right to Repair done by Rep. Mia Gregerson, and I hope that our community will continue to work together to make life better for people with disabilities.”

Many repairs that wheelchair users need involve simple fixes such as batteries, wheels, joysticks and bearings. However, because a lack of access to tools and information limits repair options, too often service delays drag on for weeks or even months. This can become a severe quality of life issue and even cause health problems for wheelchair users.

“If something goes wrong with your wheelchair, you should be able to fix it yourself or take it to a small business to get it fixed,” said state Sen. Drew Hansen, the chief sponsor of SB 5680. “This bill is long overdue; we want people with wheelchairs to have choices for how to repair their equipment.”

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Endorsers of the Right to Repair for consumer electronics and appliances (HB 1483) include: 

350 Spokane, 350 WA, BackMarket, ChargePoint, City of Seattle, Earthjustice, Environment Washington, FiXCO, Google, Hazardous Waste Management Program of King County, iFixit, King County, Microsoft, National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) Washington, PCs for People, Quaker Voice on Washington Public Policy, Red Queen Dynamics, Repair Economy Washington, Repair.org, Seattle Aquarium, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle REconomy, Sierra Club Washington State Chapter, South King Tool Library, Spokane Zero Waste, WashPIRG, WashPIRG Students, Zero Waste Washington.

Endorsers of the Right to Repair mobility equipment (SB 5680) include:

Allies in Advocacy, Disability Rights Washington, Here and Now, the Washington Paralysis Network, KC Help, Knights Community Hospital Equipment Lend, Program Services, Mobility Coaching and Outfitting, PLLC, People First of Washington, Seattle Slam Wheelchair Rugby, Self Advocates in Leadership SAIL, The Arc of Washington, WashPIRG, Zero Waste Washington.