Bill · S. 3821· Senate(119-S-3821)
Fair Repair Act
- Introduced
- 2/10/2026
- Last activity
- 2/10/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Sponsored by
- Ben Luján
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Fair Repair Act requires manufacturers of digital electronic equipment to provide documentation, parts, and tools to both owners and independent repair providers. These items must be made available on fair and reasonable terms for diagnosis, maintenance, or repair. The bill prohibits manufacturers from using "parts pairing" or other methods to block the use of functional parts or reduce equipment performance. Enforcement of these rules is assigned to the Federal Trade Commission and State Attorneys General. Certain industries, such as motor vehicle and medical device manufacturers, are excluded from these requirements. The Act takes effect 60 days after enactment.
Yes· 3 of 11
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+7
The act protects consumers from deceptive part alerts and prevents manufacturers from using software to block functional repairs.
Does this make it easier to run a small business?+6
The bill directly benefits small independent repair providers by requiring manufacturers to provide access to parts, tools, and documentation on fair terms.
Would business owners be better off under this?+6
Independent repair providers, who are often small business owners, gain significantly better access to necessary resources.
The opposite
Does this give people more control over their personal data?-3
The bill includes a provision that limits manufacturer liability for data privacy breaches occurring during independent repairs.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Access to Repair Resources: Original equipment manufacturers must make documentation, parts, and tools available to independent repair providers and owners for the purpose of maintaining or repairing equipment (Section 2(a)).
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Prevention of Reduced Functionality: Manufacturers are prohibited from using parts pairing or other mechanisms to stop functional parts from working or to reduce the performance of equipment when an independent provider performs a repair (Section 2(b)(1-2)).
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Protection Against Deceptive Practices: The bill stops manufacturers from using false or misleading alerts regarding parts (Section 2(b)(3)).
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Fair Pricing and Access: The bill prevents manufacturers from using certain mechanisms to charge additional fees or increased prices for future repairs (Section 2(b)(4)) and limits their ability to restrict who can purchase parts or perform services (Section 2(b)(5)).
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Restoration of Security Functions: For equipment with electronic security locks, manufacturers must provide the tools and documentation necessary to disable or reset these locks to restore full functionality (Section 4(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Exclusion of Certain Industries: People who rely on repairs for motor vehicles, medical devices, off-road vehicles, or safety communications equipment are not covered by this Act (Section 4(4-7)).
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Limited Legal Recourse for Damages: Original equipment manufacturers are not held liable for any damage, injury, loss of data, or reduced functionality that occurs as a result of repairs or modifications performed by an independent provider or owner (Section 5(a)).
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No Warranty on Third-Party Repairs: Manufacturers are not required to provide warranties for any repairs conducted by independent repair providers or owners (Section 5(b)).
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Data Privacy Liability: Manufacturers are not liable for any improper use of personal data or data privacy breaches that happen during a repair or modification performed by an independent provider or owner (Section 5(c)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+7Improves Small Business Support+6Increases Job Creation+4Improves Economic Growth+2
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+6Good For Low Income Households+3Good For Middle Class Households+3Good For Urban Residents+1
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+4Improves Government Transparency+2
- Education And Technology
- Increases Big Tech Regulation+5Improves Data Privacy-3
- 2/10/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.