Fair Repair Act receives public hearings in the Washington state legislature

You can watch the Senate and House hearings on the “Fair Repair Act” on YouTube. 

It’s clear from this week’s public hearings that there is a lot of support for Right to Repair in Washington. Technology experts, legal experts, small business owners, environmental advocates, consumer advocates, school officials and students all gave testimony in support of the Fair Repair Act (SB 5464/HB 1392). 

And it’s no wonder – technology is really important in our society. Breaking a phone screen likely means losing contact with friends and family, while spilling coffee on a laptop keyboard could cause a lost day (or days) of remote work.

Unfortunately, manufacturer restrictions on access to parts, tools, and information make it more difficult for consumers and independent repair shops to fix their devices. As a result, we end up paying more and waiting longer for repairs, or just tossing otherwise-fixable devices in favor of newer models.

That is why the Fair Repair Act is so important – it would guarantee Right to Repair for personal electronics, making it easier for us to fix our own devices by expanding access to manufacturers’ spare parts, physical and software tools, and diagnostic and schematic information. 

The Fair Repair Act is headed for a vote in committee next Friday at 8am. If you haven’t yet, be sure to tell your legislators that you support the Fair Repair Act by filling out our online petition here or using the legislature’s district finder to call your legislators.