Right to Repair Bill Passes Massachusetts Senate
Repair Bill is on its way to a Victory for Consumer Choice and Safety
BETHESDA, MD – July 6, 2010 – Crucial consumer protection and Right to Repair legislation passed overwhelmingly in the Massachusetts state senate with a voice vote today. The Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act now moves to the House of Representatives for a final vote.
The Right to Repair bill protects consumer choice and saves drivers money by requiring big automobile manufacturers like Toyota, GM, Ford and others to share relevant repair and safety information with local neighborhood automotive technicians and repair shops.
“Strong support in the senate obviously shows that consumers want the right to choose where they take their cars for repair,” said Art Kinsman of the Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition.
The bill also protects automobile manufacturers’ proprietary information, eliminating the possibility of aftermarket part production. Vehicle security codes are also protected by the legislation.
“The Right to Repair bill only requires manufacturers to release codes that are necessary to make repairs and crucial service bulletin issues,” said Kinsman. “It’s good for everyone – consumers and automakers are protected.”
At the federal level, the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (S. 3181) was recently introduced into the U.S. Senate by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and has four co-sponsors. The House version (H.R. 2057) was introduced by Reps. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y.; Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.; and George Miller, D-Calif., and currently has 67 co-sponsors. To learn more, visit www.righttorepair.org or www.massrighttorepair.com.
About Right to Repair
The Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (S. 3181) was introduced into the Senate by Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. and Sam Brownback, R-Kan. The House version of the bill (H.R. 2057) was introduced by Reps. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y.; Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.; and George Miller, D-Calif. The Massachusetts Right to Repair bill (S. 2268) was introduced by state Sen. Stephen J. Buoniconti, D-West Springfield and Rep. Garrett J. Bradley, D-Hingham. The Right to Repair Act protects consumers from a growing vehicle repair monopoly by requiring car companies to make the same service information and tools capabilities available to independent repair shops that they provide to their franchised dealer networks. The legislation further provides car companies with strong protections for their trade secrets. For more information about the Right to Repair Act, visit www.righttorepair.org or for information on the Massachusetts bill, visit www.massrighttorepair.com.