Assembly Member Fahy + Repair Association Urge Assembly to Move "Right to Repair" Legislation

ALBANY, NY (06/09/2021) (readMedia)-- Assembly Member Pat Fahy joined Assembly Members John T. McDonald III, Karines Reyes, Bill Magnarelli, Monica Wallace, Consumer Reports and the Repair Association to urge the Assembly to move the "Right to Repair" legislation before the session ends on Thursday. The "Digital Fair Repair Act" (Breslin S4104/Fahy A.7006) is expected to move through the Senate on Thursday.

WATCH HERE.

The Digital Fair Repair Act would allow individuals and small businesses to repair digital devices ranging from smartphones, computers, farm equipment to household appliances.

"Our legislation enabling consumers to repair their electronic and other devices levels the playing field for independent repair shops, and stands to save the average New York family up to $300 every year," said Assemblymember Patricia Fahy. "By requiring digital electronics manufacturers to allow access to critical information and parts required by independent repair shops to complete repairs on most products, this legislation ends what is essentially a corporate monopoly on the repair market and incentivizes competition within the industry. At the same time, we'd also help to reduce the massive amount of e-waste produced globally – over 44 million tons of electronic waste and 59 million devices are typically discarded in a single calendar year. Passing the 'right to repair' has overwhelming public support and will ultimately boost our local economies while saving consumers money, and we need to get this over the finish line before the session ends."

"The Digital Fair Repair Act is a huge opportunity for New York's families, mom-and-pop repair shops, and the environment. Over a year into this pandemic, New Yorkers' phones, appliances, and farming equipment are being worked overtime and can't be fixed without this bill. Rather than having these devices end up in our landfills or being at the mercy of big tech's repair monopoly, everyday consumers and small business owners have a chance to fix our product. I'm calling on the Assembly to move this bill over the finish line before session ends this week," said Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of The Repair Association.

"As digital devices became more complex and expensive, the companies that produce these electronics have restricted access to the information and tools necessary to make repairs. Mom-and-pop repair shops no longer are allowed to fix broken devices or household appliances, and consumers have no choice but to go directly to the manufacturer. This limited route is more costly and leads to increased electronic waste. To support small businesses and everyday New Yorkers who need a more accessible, affordable repair option, we must finally pass the Digital Fair Repair Act," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF - Manhattan), Chair.

Assemblymember John T. McDonald III said, "This right to repair legislation will ensure that consumers have the ability to repair and modify things they've bought themselves or through a repair shop of their choosing. Consumers deserve fair access to diagnostic and repair data that would allow them cost saving opportunities."

"The Digital Fair Repair Act creates a fair and competitive market for the electronic repair industry. It will allow small shops to repair and refurbish items, thus creating less electronic waste and allowing the public greater access to less expensive electronic products, " said Assemblymember William Magnarelli.

"The pandemic disrupted every part of our lives, but for students - especially students of color, many of whom did not have a dedicated device - that disruption was even more severe. The right to repair would go a long way to make sure that schools are not spending more to replace devices when they inevitably break, and can instead spend that money on other needs," said Assemblymember Karines Reyes.

"We need a right to repair in New York State because it would lower the cost of repairs and make repair information readily available, help me fix more devices and throw less away, while helping schools, who cannot afford to buy more devices in the first place. I'm calling on the Assembly to move the bill before the session ends this week," said Justin Millman, owner of Cell Mechanic, Inc.

"As the economy reopens, New Yorkers should have full rights to repair and maintain the digital electronic products they purchase," said Chuck Bell, programs director for Consumer Reports. "The Digital Fair Repair Act will save consumers money, reduce waste, and promote fair competition and choice. Consumer Reports strongly urges Assembly leaders and members to advance this critically important bill to a floor vote now."

Background

There are roughly 1,200 different makes and models of cell phones available in the U.S. today. Roughly 20,000 new digital devices are introduced each year, and most of them cannot be repaired. Most of these lower-cost devices cannot be repaired at all due to lack of access to any parts, manuals, diagnostics tools or firmware. Any repair shop fixing Apple or Samsung phones already has more than enough skill to fix these less common brands.

In a pre-COVID survey, the Repair Association documented job growth related to passing the Digital Fair Repair Act and other right to repair legislation:

• Existing repair shops plan to hire 15% more employees immediately upon passage of a right to repair legislation.
• The full potential of job growth is more than 400% as businesses currently limited to a handful of repair-accessible brands can quickly expand their service offerings to cover similar, but repair-monopolized, products.

At the beginning of this year, consumer protection organization USPIRG released a study that found New York families would save big if they had the right and access to repair their electronics. Key New York findings from the study include:

• By repairing electronics, New York consumers would save a collective $2.4 billion per year.
• The average New York family would save approximately $330 per year and reduce household spending on electronics and appliances by 22%.
• New York would reduce its electronic waste. New York currently generates 655,000 tons per year.

ABOUT REPAIR ASSOCIATION: The Repair Association, officially the Digital Right to Repair Coalition, was formed in 2013 to serve the combined interests of the technology aftermarket. Our members span the interests of individuals, non-profits, and for-profits engaged in the repair, resale, recycling, and re-commerce of technology driven equipment. Our mission is to advocate for repair-friendly policies, statutes and standards.