If signed into law, Texas would become the ninth state to enact Right to Repair legislation.
On Sunday, the Texas state Legislature finalized a new Right to Repair bill, reconciling the House and Senate versions and sending it to Gov Greg Abbott to be signed into law.
The state Senate passed the measure 31-0, which had passed the state House 126-0 earlier in May.
Like similar Right to Repair legislation passed in other states, the Texas Right to Repair bill, HB 2963, sponsored by state Rep Gio Capriglione, requires manufacturers to make spare parts, manuals, and repair tools available to consumers and independent shops.
“When you can’t fix something, you either have to buy a new one or do without. It drives up waste and costs. People are tired of throwing away things they prefer to fix, and clearly this is a message that has gotten through to lawmakers,” says Nathan Proctor, PIRG’s senior Right to Repair campaign director, in a release. “Congratulations to Rep Capriglione for his excellent work standing up for the rights of product owners and the small repair shops all across Texas.”
Supporters say the bill addresses growing concerns about waste and repair restrictions. In recent years, many manufacturers have limited access to repair materials, forcing consumers to rely on authorized service providers or replace their devices entirely.
“More repair means less waste. Texas produces some 621,000 tons of electronic waste per year, which creates an expensive and toxic mess,” says Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas, which supported the legislation, in a release. “Now, thanks to this bipartisan win, Texans can fix that.”
The legislation was strengthened in its final stages, adding in new protections around “parts pairing,” similar to those that were recently passed in Oregon, though those additions were removed in the conference committee.
“Texas has affirmed that Right to Repair is both practical and popular everywhere,” says Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of Repair.org, the coalition that supports Right to Repair, in a release. “We have repair protections in place for roughly a third of the nation and growing. We won’t stop until everyone, everywhere, can fix all their stuff.”
If signed, Texas will be the ninth state to enact some version of Right to Repair and the seventh to pass a law covering consumer electronics. In addition to progress in Texas, Connecticut and Oregon sent Right to Repair legislation to their governors in the last week. The measure in Connecticut mirrors California legislation passed two years ago, and the Oregon bill covers powered wheelchairs.
ID 3594005 © Brandon Seidel | Dreamstime.com
