Following the introduction and hearing of a House Right to Repair bill, the Senate has now introduced and scheduled a hearing for an identical companion bill.
SB 6276 is a broad-based bill applying to an array of household consumer electronics but also includes provisions specific to agricultural equipment. The bill was introduced late Friday and quickly scheduled for a hearing this Wednesday at 8 a.m. in the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee.
NAEDA will be testifying remotely on the bill. If you would like to sign up and testify, the link to virtual testimony is provided below. Testimony will most likely be limited to two minutes, so the more dealers we have testifying allows us to cover more points.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate?selectedCommittee=28240&selectedMeeting=31725
For the time being, the House bill is stalled and was not scheduled for an executive session vote after the hearing two weeks ago. It appears that proponents of the bill are now trying to get it moving in the Senate. Farm Bureau will be testifying in opposition as well as tech trade groups.
Our industry’s primary message is that with the MOUs in place, we should receive an exemption to the bill much like the auto industry that is exempted from the legislation. Safety and emissions concerns from modification of farm equipment distinguish our products greatly from other household consumer electronic products, and our industry is already a leading example of one that supports customer self-repair. NAEDA will be submitting our position statement and coalition letter to members of the Senate.
If you plan to testify and have any questions, please contact me directly at ewareham@naeda.com