HR7404-119

What This Bill Does

The Fair Repair Act requires original equipment manufacturers of digital electronic equipment to make repair documentation, parts, tools, and updates available to owners and independent repair providers on fair and reasonable terms. It bars parts pairing and similar software practices that prevent otherwise functional parts, reduce functionality after independent repair, create misleading or non-dismissible parts warnings, charge extra future repair fees, or limit who can buy parts or perform repairs. FTC and state attorneys general enforce the requirements. The bill requires access to security-lock tools needed to disable and reset locks during repair, protects trade secrets except as needed to provide repair materials, preserves authorized repair and warranty arrangements, excludes motor vehicles, medical devices, off-road vehicles, and emergency safety communications equipment, and shields OEMs and authorized repair providers from liability for damage, injury, data loss, privacy breaches, or failed owner or independent repairs.

Who Benefits and How

Device owners and independent repair providers benefit from access to manuals, service codes, diagrams, security codes, tools, replacement parts, software pairing tools, calibration functions, and updates needed to restore equipment. Consumers benefit from more repair options and potentially lower repair costs. FTC and state attorneys general gain enforcement authority against unfair repair restrictions.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Original equipment manufacturers must provide repair materials, stop anti-repair parts pairing practices, support security-lock resets, and face FTC or state enforcement. Authorized repair providers may face more competition from independent repair providers. Owners and independent shops bear responsibility for repair mistakes because the bill shields OEMs from liability for independent repair damage, data loss, privacy breaches, or reduced functionality.

Key Provisions

• Requires OEMs to provide owners and independent repair providers documentation, parts, tools, and updates on fair and reasonable terms.
• Prohibits parts pairing and similar mechanisms that block functional parts, reduce functionality, create misleading warnings, raise later repair costs, or restrict who can buy parts or repair devices.
• Authorizes FTC and state attorney general enforcement for violations.
• Requires access to security-lock repair tools while preserving trade-secret limits and excluding motor vehicles, medical devices, off-road vehicles, and emergency safety communications equipment.
• Shields OEMs and authorized repair providers from liability for independent repair damage, injury, data loss, privacy breaches, or failed repairs.