BOWIE, Md. — Passage of the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act is critical to the long term survival of a competitive automotive repair industry, according to Paul Fiore, executive vice president of the Service Station Dealers of America and Allied Trades (SSDA-AT), which represents service station dealers and repair shops throughout the country.
"It is absolutely critical that an enforceable Right to Repair bill be enacted," said Fiore. "Many of our members have small businesses that have been in their family for generations. They are not seeking an unfair advantage, nor are they looking for access to the proprietary information protected by the bill. They simply seek equal access to safety and repair information from the carmakers. Our membership overwhelmingly supports the bill because they want to be able to compete fairly now and, more importantly, in the future."
Right to Repair supports say the bill protects consumer choice and saves drivers money by requiring automobile manufacturers to share relevant repair and safety information with independent automotive technicians and repair shops. Supporters claim the bill also provides strong protections for automobile manufacturers’ proprietary information.
"We don’t need to know how they build their vehicles, just how to repair them," Fiore stated.
Right to Repair bills have been introduced in many states, including the Massachusetts Right to Repair bill which was introduced by state Sen. Stephen J. Buoniconti (D-West Springfield) and Rep. Garrett J. Bradley (D-Hingham). Following passage by the Massachusetts Senate, the bill is awaiting a final vote in the House of Representatives.
The pending legislation has the support of several state organizations, including AAA of Southern New England, which has over two million members.
At the federal level, the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (S 3181) was recently introduced into the U.S. Senate by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.). The House version of the bill was introduced by Reps. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and George Miller (D-Calif.) and currently has 68 cosponsors.
To learn more about the Right to Repair Act, visit www.rightorepair.org or www.massrighttorepair.com.
