'Right To Repair' Bills Garner Support In WA Legislature

OLYMPIA, WA — Committees in both chambers of the legislature this week heard testimony in the latest effort to establish right-to-repair laws in Washington. Approving the legislation would grant Washingtonians the right to repair their devices and expand what independent repair shops can handle.

The bill would require cellphone, computer and tablet manufacturers to make the same information, parts, tools, and patches available to owners and independent shops that they currently provide only to authorized repairers.

A nationwide push for right-to-repair laws has been underway since the mid-2010s. In recent years statehouses in more than half of the country explored similar legislation, according to the Public Interest Research Group. Equipment covered by the legislation varies by state, with some broadly covering all "non-car devices," and others narrowly focused on medical or agricultural equipment.

Washington's legislation is aimed at consumer devices. Before lawmakers pitched similar bills last session, a Northwest Progressive Institute poll found 69 percent of those surveyed supported the bill, compared to just 13 percent who were opposed, and 18 percent who were unsure.

The newest iteration of the right-to-repair bill is the result of conversations and compromises with manufacturers over the last year, which proponents say will expand everyone's access to repair their devices.

State Rep. Mia Gregerson (D-SeaTac), the sponsor of the House bill, said nationwide laptop shortages early on in the pandemic underlined the need for the legislation, which could have allowed schools faster and cheaper options to address a gap in supply.

Cynthia McMullen, a school board member in Spokane County, testified in favor of the legislation Wednesday.

"School districts need reliable, efficient and affordable ways to repair their technology hardware, which is what this bill, Senate Bill 5464, provides," McMullen said. "We will be able to make routine repairs either locally or in-house, significantly reducing the time a student or staff member's computer is out of service."

McMullen was joined by multiple repair shop owners and environmental groups who threw their support behind the bills.

"If you pass right to repair, I know I can keep my business going," said Mitch Kramer, owner of Bellingham's FiXCO Computer and Phone Repair. "I can keep Bellingham's phones and other devices working. A healthy society depends on healthy local communities."

Both bills await further action in their respective House and Senate committees.