STATEMENT: New bipartisan legislation spurs Right to Repair campaign’s momentum

Sens. Lujan, Wyden and Lummis introduce measure to allow for repairs of cell phones, appliances and tractors 

WASHINGTON — Advocates calling to remove barriers faced by consumers and independent shops who attempt to repair electronics celebrated a new Right to Repair bill, introduced Tuesday in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY). The bipartisan measure, similar to bills pending in state houses around the country, would require manufacturers to provide access to the parts, tools and information needed to fix products. 

This is the first broad Right to Repair bill introduced in the U.S. Senate. It joins a bill targeting farm equipment filed by Sen. Jon Tester of Montana earlier this year, and a 2020 bill targeting medical equipment filed by Sen. Wyden. 

U.S. PIRG’s Senior Right to Repair Campaign Director Nathan Proctor made the following statement: 

“It’s common sense: When something breaks you fix it. But when only manufacturers or their authorized shop can fix your device, they can charge as much as they want and coerce you into buying an upgrade. It’s time to remove manufacturer-imposed barriers to repair and get back to fixing things like we’ve always done. We are proud to support this bipartisan, pro-environment, pro-consumer and pro-small business bill. We are grateful to have champions such as Sens. Lujan, Wyden and Lummis, and commend them on their leadership in introducing this legislation. 

“Right to Repair continues to build momentum across the country and the world. We’ve witnessed progress in dozens of states, an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission, an executive order from President Joe Biden, multiple shareholder actions, and now increasing support on Capitol Hill and the U.S. Senate. I’m so proud of how our rag-tag band of repair shops, tinkerers, farmers, makers, DIYers, environmentalists and consumer advocates are taking on some of the most powerful companies in the world — and we continue to make progress. The time has come to just let people fix their stuff.” 

U.S. PIRG is one of the leading national advocates for Right to Repair, along with allies including iFixit and Repair.org. Their statements on the bill introduction are below: 

“We should all be able to fix what we own, and The Fair Repair Act takes a huge step toward a more repairable future. It’s good for small independent repair businesses, great for the planet, and even better for people who need their smartphone screens fixed. The iFixit community has been demanding this solution for decades: Manufacturers should make parts, tools, and repair information available to everyone who needs to fix their gadgets.”

               — Kyle Wiens, CEO, iFixit

“Everyone who eats, makes phone calls, uses a refrigerator or goes to school has a reason to support this essential legislation. As we know from our own years of advocacy and research, there are no good reasons for manufacturers to prevent repair — only weak excuses offered in support of illegal monopolies. It’s time to restore the option of competition for repair services around the nation. We thank Senator Lujan for his leadership on this important effort.”

               — Gay Gordon-Byrne, Executive Director, Repair.org