- California has moved closer to enacting its Right to Repair Act as the Senate Bill was recently voted favorably in the State Assembly.
- Under this Bill, manufacturers will have to provide repair materials like tools, parts, and documentation for seven years for products priced at $100 and above.
- While limited in scope to California, the Bill will profoundly affect Big Tech in Silicon Valley.
Flagship smartphones these days are well above the $500 price mark, and many even happily breach the $1,000 price point. When you buy a phone this expensive, you naturally expect the manufacturer to support the phone for a long period. Most OEMs have been working on extending their software support timelines, but that does no good if the hardware fails in the meantime. California wants to change that, as the state has passed the important Right to Repair Act that will ensure you get a lot of after-sale support for your electronics.
The California State Assembly has voted in favor of Senate Bill 244, the Right to Repair Act (as spotted by TheVerge). The Bill needs a final concurrence vote in the Senate and by the Governor before it becomes enforceable in the state in July 2024.