New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny (D-Hoboken) and Senator Joseph Kyrillos (R-Middletown) this week jointly introduced The Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act, S-2553, a companion bill to the New Jersey Assembly’s A-931.
Similar in language to A-931, this bill specifies that motor vehicle manufacturers would be responsible for providing to vehicle owners, repair facilities and the director of the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety, information necessary to diagnose, service or repair a motor vehicle. This would include any information used to diagnose, service, repair, activate, certify or install parts in a motor vehicle. Under the bill, manufacturers would not be required to disclose information that would reveal any trade secrets.
Like A-931, if the bill passes, violations of this legislation would result in a maximum $10,000 for the first offense and $20,000 maximum penalty for the second and each subsequent offense. A vehicle owner or repair facility could also bring a civil action to enjoin a violation of this act and to recover the costs of litigation including reasonable attorney and expert witness fees.