September 18, 2018—Six years after Massachusetts became the first state in the country to pass a “right to repair” law, the coalition of auto repair and parts shops behind that effort is back, relaunching ahead of a push next session to update the law to address advances in car technology, reports the Metro West Daily News.
Auto repair shop owners say that by 2020 more than 90 percent of new cars and trucks will wirelessly transmit important real-time vehicle diagnostic and performance data to manufacturers, potentially inhibiting their ability to repair cars or compete with authorized dealerships.
Rep. Paul McMurtry, a Dedham Democrat, will file legislation on Tuesday with the support of Hull Rep. Joan Meschino and Watertown Rep. John Lawn that would protect independent auto repair shops against vehicle manufacturers using wireless technology to get around the current right-to-repair information sharing law.
The legislation, according to McMurtry and a member of the coalition, is intended to renew the discussion around right-to-repair and refresh legislators ahead of the next two-year session that starts in January.
