Bill > HB217

This bill aims to grant certain individuals and businesses the right to access repair information and service parts from manufacturers of consumer products sold or used in the state. The key provisions include: 1. Owners and independent repair providers have the right to access the same diagnostic and repair information, as well as service parts, that manufacturers provide to their authorized repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms. This includes access to firmware updates and related documentation. 2. Authorized repair providers have the right to purchase diagnostic, service, or repair information in a standardized format if the manufacturer sells it to independent providers in that format or offers more favorable terms. 3. Owners and independent providers have the right to purchase the same diagnostic repair tools that manufacturers provide to their own staff or authorized providers, on fair and reasonable terms. 4. Manufacturers must not exclude security-related diagnostic and repair information from what they provide to owners and independent providers, though they can use secure data release systems to protect trade secrets. The bill allows for some limitations, such as not requiring manufacturers to provide information or parts for products under valid warranty, and provides enforcement mechanisms through the state Attorney General's office.