ST. JOHNS, Fla. – This week, with the passage of the Right to Repair bill in Massachusetts, the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) has announced it will continue to play a role in mediating the process of information accessibility between automakers and repair shops. 
NASTF was formed in 2000 to facilitate open communications between the aftermarket and the original equipment vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure the same service information, tools and training materials available to franchised dealers were available to the independent service technicians. This was reinforced in 2006 with the incorporation of NASTF as a not-for-profit organization and the election of a board of directors, where nine of the 12 board seats are held by aftermarket representatives.
NASTF’s role is recognized in the text of Massachusetts legislation H4362, which was signed into state law on Aug. 7. According to NASTF, Section (6)(b) of the Massachusetts law expressly recognizes the NASTF Service Information Request (SIR) Internet-based problem resolution service as a mechanism for addressing information access and tool availability questions prior to enforcement actions being pursued.
Section (2)(e) of the law recognizes the NASTF Secure Data Release Model (SDRM) as a mechanism for security technicians seeking to service vehicle key, immobilizer and theft-related parts. Since its inception in 2008, almost 750,000 transactions have been processed through the SDRM under the scrutiny of the National Insurance Crime Bureau as the task force’s watchdog.
"I am grateful that the Massachusetts legislation acknowledges the valuable role that NASTF and the SDRM play," said NASTF Chairman Ron Pyle. "Our volunteers have worked very hard for the past 12 years to create the SIR and SDRM tools. The NASTF committees continue to explore new ideas and develop creative solutions to improve information, training and tool access."
"The role of NASTF doesn’t change with passage of the Massachusetts law. But, it does make our role more official," added Skip Potter, NASTF executive director. "As an organization, we have always treated what we did as very important and we plan to continue to grow our constituency of participants to ensure that all stakeholders have input."
NASTF adds that it takes no position on any legislation that may be proposed or pending in state or national legislative bodies. For more information about NASTF, visit www.nastf.org.
