House Bill Analysis, HB 1483, Right to Repair Act (Hearing Date 1/31/25)
Summary
House Bill Analysis of HB 1483, supporting the servicing and right to repair of certain products with digital electronics, for the Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans Committee, with hearing date 1/31/25 and staff Emily Poole. The brief summary says the bill establishes the Right to Repair Act (Repair Act), requiring original manufacturers of digital electronic products to make parts, tools, and documentation available to independent repair providers on fair and reasonable terms. It states the requirement begins January 1, 2026, and lists exemptions including motor vehicle manufacturers. The analysis says the appropriation is none, a preliminary fiscal note is available, and the bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which it is passed.
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Cite this document
“House Bill Analysis, HB 1483, Right to Repair Act (Hearing Date 1/31/25).”
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Washington State BILL
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research ANALYSIS
Technology, Economic Development, &
Veterans Committee
HB 1483
Brief Description: Supporting the servicing and right to repair of certain products with digital
electronics in a secure and reliable manner.
Sponsors: Representatives Gregerson, Reeves, Wylie, Berry, Doglio, Fitzgibbon, Davis, Reed,
Ramel, Bergquist, Peterson, Macri, Fosse, Ormsby, Hill and Simmons.
Brief Summary of Bill
• Establishes the Right to Repair Act (Repair Act), which requires original
manufacturers of digital electronic products to make available to
independent repair providers on fair and reasonable terms certain parts,
tools, and documentation for the diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of
digital electronic products.
• Contains certain exceptions for when parts, tools, and documentation do
not have to be made available to independent repair providers.
• Provides for enforcement by the Attorney General pursuant to the
Consumer Protection Act.
Hearing Date: 1/31/25
Staff: Emily Poole (786-7106).
Background:
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (MMWA), enforced by the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC), limits how written warranties may be used when marketing products to consumers. The
MMWA has an anti-tying provision, which prohibits manufacturers from using access to
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative
members in their deliberations. This analysis is not part of the legislation nor does it
constitute a statement of legislative intent.
House Bill Analysis -1- HB 1483
warranty coverage as a way of obstructing consumers' ability to have their products maintained
or repaired using third-party replacement parts and independent repair shops.
In 2021, the FTC issued a report on consumer protection and antitrust issues related to repair
restrictions. In the report, the FTC noted that repairs of consumer products increasingly require
specialized tools, difficult-to-obtain parts, and access to proprietary diagnostic software,
resulting in limited choices for consumers whose products break. The FTC's report described
three general types of relationships between market participants, including relationships where:
(1) manufacturers offer repair services for their products themselves, or through a network of
affiliates, as the only authorized means of repair; (2) the original manufacturer has no presence in
the sale of aftermarket parts or services, and independent service organizations sometimes
provide repair and maintenance services; and (3) the original manufacturer participates in
aftermarket service markets in competition with independent repair shops.
Summary of Bill:
The Right to Repair Act (Repair Act) is established.
Requirements.
Beginning January 1, 2026, an original manufacturer is required to make available to any
independent repair provider or owner on fair and reasonable terms any parts, tools, and
documentation intended for the diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of digital electronic products
and parts. This requirement applies to digital electronic products and parts that are first
manufactured, and first sold or used in Washington, on or after July 1, 2021.
For digital electronic products that are manufactured for the first time, and first sold or used in
Washington, after January 1, 2025, an original manufacturer may not use parts pairing in certain
ways that affect the ability of a digital electronic product to be repaired.
Digital electronic product is defined as "any product or electronic that: (a) depends, in whole or
in part, on digital electronics, such as a microprocessor or microcontroller, embedded in or
attached to the product in order to function; (b) is tangible personal property; (c) is generally
used for personal, family, or household purposes; (d) is sold, used, or supplied in Washington
180 days or more after the product was first manufactured and 180 days or more after the
product was first sold or used in Washington; and (e) might be, but is not necessarily, capable of
attachment to or installation in real property."
Other defined terms include authorized repair provider, authorized third-party provider,
diagnosis, documentation, fair and reasonable terms, independent repair provider, maintenance,
modifications, original manufacturer, owner, part, parts pairing, repair, tool, trade secret, and
video game console.
Customer Notice.
Before accepting digital electronic products for repair, authorized repair providers and
House Bill Analysis -2- HB 1483
independent repair providers must provide customers with a written notice that includes certain
information, including:
• the steps taken to ensure the privacy and security of products entrusted for repair;
• recommended steps for the customer to take to safeguard product data;
• a statement about the customer's legal right to privacy and notice that violations of this
right may result in criminal prosecution or civil liability; and
• for independent repair providers, whether the repair provider uses any replacement parts
that are used or provided by a supplier other than the original manufacturer.
Not Liable for Repairs or Functionality.
An original manufacturer or authorized repair provider is not liable for any damage to any digital
electronic product caused by an independent repair provider or owner, which occurs during the
course of repair, diagnosis, or maintenance and is not attributable to the original manufacturer or
authorized repair provider other than if the failure is attributable to design or manufacturing
defects.
An original manufacturer does not warrant any services provided by independent repair
providers.
Right to Repair Act Exceptions.
The Repair Act does not alter the terms of any arrangement in force between an original
manufacturer and an authorized repair provider, subject to exceptions. The Repair Act also does
not require an original manufacturer to:
• divulge a trade secret to an independent repair provider, except as necessary to provide
parts, tools, and documentation on fair and reasonable terms; or
• make available special documentation, tools, parts, or other devices or implements that
would disable or override, without an owner's authorization, antitheft or privacy security
measures that the owner sets.
Provisions of the Repair Act may not be construed to require an original manufacturer or an
authorized repair provider to:
• provide to an owner or independent repair provider access to information, other than
documentation, that is provided by the original manufacturer to an authorized repair
provider pursuant to an arrangement;
• make available any parts, tools, or documentation for the purposes of modifying digital
electronic products;
• make available any parts, tools, or documentation required for the diagnosis, maintenance,
or repair of certain public safety communications equipment or video game consoles; or
• make available documentation or tools used exclusively for repairs completed by machines
that operate on several products simultaneously, if the original manufacturer makes
available sufficient, alternative documentation and tools to repair the product.
Several different types of entities and products are exempt from provisions of the Repair Act,
including but not limited to:
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• motor vehicle manufacturers;
• manufacturers of power generation or storage equipment and certain products that store
electrical energy and transmit the energy after storage;
• products that generate or store electrical energy from solar radiation;
• products that have never been available for retail sale;
• manufacturers or distributors of products primarily intended for use in a medical setting;
• utility, agricultural, construction, and mining equipment;
• off-road equipment, including tractors, farm and yard equipment, outdoor power
equipment, marine and recreational vehicles, and power sources; and
• set-top boxes, modems, routers, or all-in-one devices delivering internet, video, and voice
systems that are distributed by a video, internet, or voice service provider if the service
provider offers equivalent or better, readily available replacement equipment at no charge
to the customer.
Enforcement.
Violations of requirements under the Repair Act are deemed to affect public interest and
constitute an unfair or deceptive act in trade or commerce for purposes of the Consumer
Protection Act. The Repair Act may only be enforced by the Attorney General under the
Consumer Protection Act.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Preliminary fiscal note available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is
passed.
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