The proposed legislation would require manufacturers to provide parts, documentation, and tools, following similar laws passed in four states.
On Aug 26, Rep Maxwell Frost (D-FL) and Rep Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) introduced the Wheelchair Right to Repair Act, a bill aimed at addressing repair delays for powered wheelchairs by expanding access to necessary service materials for owners and independent technicians.
The act seeks to amend the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to legally permit consumers and independent repairers to fix powered wheelchairs. If passed, it would mandate that manufacturers make available the parts, documentation, and tools, including firmware and software, required for service and maintenance.
The legislation follows a 2022 report from the US PIRG Education Fund, which found that extended repair delays are common. According to the report, 62% of surveyed wheelchair users reported that the average repair took four or more weeks, impacting mobility and autonomy.
“Right to Repair means that when the manufacturer or their authorized agents fail to offer timely, cost-effective repairs, you have options,” says Isaac Bowers, US PIRG’s federal legislative director, in a release. “Nobody should have to wait weeks for a manufacturer-approved technician to fix a device they own, especially for something as essential to daily life as your wheelchair.”
The federal bill builds on momentum from state-level advocacy, with similar wheelchair Right to Repair laws already passed in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The bill would extend these rights to wheelchair users nationwide.
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