We are excited to celebrate today with our friends across the country as Minnesota and California join New York and Colorado (and soon Oregon) in expanding the right to repair across the United States!

As you may know, this day has been many years in the making. Work to bring Right to Repair to Minnesota began legislatively nearly a decade ago, in 2015. Many individuals and organizations worked hard to get us to this day by writing letters, making phone calls, providing testimony, and meeting with policymakers to make the case for Right to Repair. And our policy makers did the hard work of educating their colleagues and meeting with all constituents on the issue. Despite opposition from some sectors, the broad support for this legislation allowed this day to be possible and we are grateful to each person who took the time to make sure Minnesota is one of the leaders for digital fair repair!

You may be wondering what changes now. While there are still unknowns about the readiness of manufacturers to fully comply with the requirements of the law today, what we do know is this: Manufacturers for many consumer electronics including smart phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, cameras, and more, business enterprise equipment like servers and networking equipment, and appliances (sold on or after July 1, 2021) must make the tools, parts, manuals, and diagnostics available to any individuals and businesses who want to make repairs. The Minnesota right to repair coalition will be watching to ensure this happens. And if you find yourself or your business in a situation where it seems the law is not being followed, please contact the Minnesota Attorney General's office.  

One of the most exciting things about today is that, when combined with the laws already in place or becoming effective today, nearly 20% of people living in the US will be covered by electronics Right to Repair protections. This is huge in ensuring fair and equitable access to technology, the ability for small repair businesses to thrive, and for individuals to be able to make their own repairs if desired.

Learn more about Right to Repair across the United States.