Senate Bill 176, otherwise known as the Right to Repair bill, has been scheduled for a hearing this week in the Senate Small Business and Economic Opportunity Committee. The hearing will be held on May 15th at 10:30 am. Last year, the bill was sent to the Financial Institutions and Technology Committee, so this will be the first impression of the issue for this committee.
As you recall, the bill provides an exemption for construction equipment and farm equipment dealers. However, the bill drafting is not clear and creates ambiguity about whether all products dealers sell such as outdoor power equipment or material handling equipment are also exempted from the bill. In our position statement sent to the committee members and the bill sponsor, we have requested the bill be amended to include industry exemption language supported by our association that has been adopted in several states. We will remain actively opposed until that language is included. Position Statement.
We will keep you updated on any legislative developments. Please contact me directly if you have any questions or comments about the bill.
