Oregon signs right to repair into law

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed Senate Bill 1596 into law on Tuesday, joining a growing number of supportive citizens in California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts and Minnesota. Right to repair states. The law is scheduled to take effect on January 1.

The bill’s co-authors Janeen Sollman and Rep. Courtney Neron drew inspiration from California Senate Bill 244, which passed in late 2023. Lawmakers did, however, add one key provision that divided industry representatives. Apple, in particular, has been criticized for its aggressive ban on parts pairing, which requires the use of proprietary components during repairs.

The iPhone maker previously issued an unprecedented open letter supporting the California bill and said most Support Oregon’s bill, with the caveats above.

“Apple agrees with the vast majority of Senate Bill 1596,” John Perry, Apple’s senior manager of security system design, said in testimony to state lawmakers in February. “I have met with Senator Solman multiple times and appreciate her willingness to have an open dialogue. Senate Bill 1596 is a step forward in ensuring that Oregonians, including myself, can easily and cost-effectively repair their equipment step.”

Apple cited security concerns about opening its repair process to unauthorized parts, particularly biometric components like fingerprint scanners. In an interview with TechCrunch last month, Solman expressed frustration with attempts to work with Apple on the bill.

“People came to me about potential changes, and I felt like I was playing the carrier game, like I was the one who had to come up with the changes, not Apple itself,” she said at the time. “It’s very frustrating. We accepted many of the changes that Apple proposed in the California bill. There were two other things related to them. We’ve addressed one of them because it introduced some ambiguity into the bill. So, I think that part . . . they’re going to be on the hill doing parts matching.”

Google first expressed its approval of the bill back in January, calling it “a compelling model for other states to follow.” Maintenance groups also support the legislation.

“By removing manufacturer restrictions, right to repair will make it easier for Oregonians to keep their personal electronics running. This will protect valuable natural resources and prevent waste,” said Charlie Fisher, Director of OSPIRG (Oregon Public Interest Research Group) stated in a statement following the news release. “This is a refreshing alternative to the ‘throwaway’ system, which treats everything as disposable.”

Apple declined to comment on the news.