California, home to many of the largest technology companies and the most populous state in the country, is advance a bill on the right to repair for consumer electronics and household appliances. From a report: After unanimous votes in the Assembly and State Senate, the bill passed yesterday is expected to pass a vote of approval and be signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Since Right to Repair may pass here, expect it to be on its way to a court near you,” Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, said in a statement. iFixit, a San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based seller of repair parts and tools and advocate for right-to-repair laws, has been joined in its support of California’s right-to-repair law by another California company with a history of opposition to repair laws: Apple. The consumer tech giant’s letter urging passage of the bill was surprising, to say the least, even though Apple said the bill’s stipulations regarding the “security of individual users” and the “intellectual property of computer manufacturers products” were satisfactory.
California’s bill goes further than other states’ right-to-repair laws. Rather than limiting its request for companies to provide necessary parts, tools, repair manuals and software for devices still actively sold, California requires suppliers to provide these items for products sold after July 1, 2021. starting in July 2024. Products costing $50 to $99.99 require these items for three years, and items $100 and above require seven years. The bill also provides stricter enforcement mechanisms, allowing municipalities to file complaints in superior court rather than contact the state attorney general.
