From aftermarketNews staff reports

Florida and Maine have joined three other states in exploring automotive service and repair issues in the state legislature. Oklahoma, Nevada and New Jersey are each currently exploring proposed legislation to address concerns about the ability of motorists and independent repair facilities to access the same information given to car dealerships for vehicle repairs. On a national level, this issue — generally known as the Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act — has been presented before Congress for the past several years.

Now, the state senate in Maine has proposed the new State Legislative Document 1210, "An Act Concerning the Diagnosis, Service and Repair of Motor Vehicles," which “requires an automobile manufacturer to provide the owner or lessee and repair facilities with the information necessary to diagnose service or repair, certify, activate or install equipment in a motor vehicle it has manufactured." The Maine Right to Repair bill would rely on the courts to ensure the distribution of service information.

The Florida Senate has proposed Bill 2890, the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act, which if enacted, would rely on a state government agency and the Florida court system to assist repairers in acquiring automotive service information. It also "requires the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to adopt rules setting forth a method by which a manufacturer of motor vehicles must provide certain information."

In both instances, the Automotive Service Association is publicly urging that legislators oppose these measures. ASA says it feels the proposed bills would put at risk the progress that has been made through the Automotive Service Association-Automaker Agreement, which already provides independent repairers access to service, tool and training information via automaker websites.