In Our View: Right-to-repair proposal represents progress

Practically from the moment she was elected to Congress, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has focused on Americans’ right to repair.

“Part of our national heritage is that we can fix things,” the Skamania Democrat once told The Columbian. “It’s in our DNA. We used to really own the things we bought — homes, tractors.”

Now, with computer chips and proprietary technology used in everything from automobiles to smartphones to dishwashers, consumers are beholden to the corporations that make those products. So are independent repair shops, which are quickly being displaced by technicians controlled by the manufacturers.

To be sure, Perez has a vested interest in the subject; she co-owns a Portland auto repair shop with her husband. But consumers also can benefit from the growing right-to-repair movement.

In Congress, Perez has introduced a series of bills related to the topic. This year’s Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act, for example, would dictate that vehicle owners and repair shops have access to necessary diagnostic data after paying a fee to the manufacturer. Notably, H.R. 1566 has 13 Democrats and 12 Republicans as co-sponsors.

But efforts also are progressing at the state level. Oregon, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Maine and New York have passed right-to-repair legislation, and House Bill 1483 is under consideration in Washington. That legislation, introduced by Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac, passed the House by a 94-1 vote, including support from all Southwest Washington representatives. It now is under consideration by the Senate.

Steven Rhine, who runs a small electronics repair shop in Vancouver, testified before a legislative committee and said: “Right to repair is very essential to affordable repairs. If I have to spend four or five hours reverse engineering a circuit to be able to repair it, versus spending 10 minutes with a schematic, it reduces the cost to make repairs economically viable.”

In addition to reducing costs and expediting repairs, the legislation can help reduce waste. According to The (Everett) Herald, Heather Timm of Zero Waste Washington said: “I always say, the No. 1 thing you can do is try to make your stuff last longer. This is a very hard-core zero-waste bill and there is a lot of public support behind it.”

States often are referred to as the laboratories of democracy, where ideas gradually take hold and expand to the national level. Such is the case with Washington’s right-to-repair proposal; the legislation is limited to digital devices while exempting vehicles, farm equipment, medical equipment and other devices. It would be beneficial, but it also points out the need for broad congressional action, rather than piecemeal legislation on a state-by-state basis.

Perez’s bill in Congress also is limited in scope, focusing exclusively on vehicle repair. But it would represent an important step forward at the national level and would represent progress for an crucial consumer protection.

Eventually, Congress should consider comprehensive bills that provide Americans with the information necessary to repair all consumer products.

As Perez said when introducing the REPAIR Act: “Americans are tired of lip service about lowering prices or respecting the trades. We want to be able to fix our own stuff and to be stewards of our stuff and not reliant on a stream of cheap disposable crap. … It’s time for Congress to listen to ordinary Americans and pass right-to-repair legislation.”