California Passes "Right to Repair" Bill Ensuring Seven-Year Warranty for Smartphone Components

California Passes “Right to Repair” Bill Ensuring Seven-Year Warranty for Smartphone Components

California has just become the third state to pass an electronics repair rights bill.

On September 12th, Senate Bill 244 passed in the California Assembly with a unanimous vote of 50-0.

The bill had previously passed the California Senate in May with a vote of 38-0.

The legislation now proceeds to a final concurrence vote in the Senate before reaching the desk of California Governor Gavin Newsom.

California now follows in the footsteps of Minnesota and New York, both of which approved similar right-to-repair bills last year. However, California’s bill stands out as it mandates companies to expand the availability of repair materials, such as parts, tools, manuals, and software, for a longer period. The bill stipulates a three-year repair period for products priced between $50 and $99.99 and a seven-year repair period for products priced at $100 or more. The legislation covers electronic products and appliances manufactured and sold after July 1, 2021.

The significance of this legislation is underscored by California’s status as not only the headquarters of many major tech companies but also one of the most densely populated states in the United States. Any legislative trend that begins in California tends to spread nationwide.

iFixit, well-known for advocating repair rights and teardown tools, is a co-sponsor of SB 244 and expressed excitement about the bill’s passage in the state where their headquarters are located, noting that it happens to be in the backyard of major tech companies. They stated, “If the ‘right to repair’ bill can pass here, we look forward to seeing it pass in your backyard.”

Another noteworthy development is Apple’s recent announcement of support for California’s “right to repair” bill in a letter to California Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman, causing a stir. This represents a significant reversal for Apple after years of lobbying against repair rights. Nonetheless, under regulatory pressure, Apple has made some significant concessions lately, such as equipping the newly released iPhone 15 with USB-C, prompted by European regulatory authorities. At the Wonderlust event on September 12th, Apple also emphasized that the titanium body of the new iPhone 15 Pro makes it easier to repair, just hours before the SB 244 bill was to be considered for passage in the California legislature.

Nathan Proctor, Senior Director of the “Right to Repair” campaign at Public Interest Research Group, stated in a release, “While manufacturers have long been obstructing repair technicians and opposing repair rights legislation, it’s heartening to see many manufacturers, especially Apple, changing course. This is good news because while this legislation is important, there’s more work to be done if we want to establish more sustainable relationships with the electronic products that power modern life.”

However, the story is far from over, as there are still uncertainties. For instance, New York’s “right to repair” bill was significantly weakened due to last-minute amendments, creating convenient loopholes for manufacturers, which disappointed activists.

All three “right to repair” bills are expected to be enacted in 2024, with New York’s bill coming in January and Minnesota and California’s bills in July.