California has officially joined New York and Minnesota, becoming the third state in the U.S. to pass a right-to-repair law. The bill passed quickly through the state legislature last month, and has now been signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
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“Replacing expensive electronics and appliances at an ever-quickening pace is not only a financial burden on consumers but also drives unsustainable mining and extraction that has a tremendous environmental impact up and down the supply chain,” Nick Lapis, Director of Advocacy for Californians Against Waste told iFixit. “My hope is that, with the passage of SB 244, California will foster a thriving market for repair businesses and secondhand sales that will make repair the norm, not the exception.”
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Under the new law, which is effective starting July 1, 2024, all electronic and appliance products that cost over $50 and are sold in California after July 1, 2021 are required to be have self-repair support from manufacturers, including parts, tools, and documentation. Devices costing between $50 and $99 are required to have parts, tools, and documentation available for three years, while devices over $99 must be supported for seven years. The repercussions for a company failing to fulfill this responsibility are dire, with a fine of $1,000 per day of their first violation, $2,000 per day of their second, and $5,000 per day for each following violation.
A full list of exempt devices can be found here, and include game consoles, alarm systems, and agricultural equipment.
