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United States Hardware

Texas Right To Repair Bill Passes (theverge.com) 36

Texas is poised to become the first state with a Republican-controlled government to pass a right to repair law, as its Senate unanimously approved HB 2963. The bill requires manufacturers to provide parts, manuals, and tools for equipment sold or used in the state. The Verge reports: A press release from the United States Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), which has pushed for repairability laws nationwide, noted that this would make Texas the ninth state with a right to repair rule, and the seventh with a version that includes consumer electronics. It follows New York, Colorado, Minnesota, California, Oregon, Maine, and most recently, Washington [...]. "More repair means less waste. Texas produces some 621,000 tons of electronic waste per year, which creates an expensive and toxic mess. Now, thanks to this bipartisan win, Texans can fix that," said Environment Texas executive director Luke Metzger.

Texas Right To Repair Bill Passes

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  • We need to get rid of all the e-waste being generated by disposable carts. Nics. Lithium cells with USB ports are being thrown away DAILY/HOURLY

    • by Holi ( 250190 )

      You think allowing people to fix their electronics means they won't be tossing their old batteries? What do you think they are going to do with them?

  • It sure is good to read some good news for once! And from Texas! Who expected that?
    • by Z80a ( 971949 )

      I think the only people that actually like non-repairable devices are the corporations.
      Many different reasons, sane and or not to hate it from the pollution, to this being some sort of scam, to the whole "you will own nothing and you will like it", to people basically weaponizing it as "the other side loves it!".

      • by DarkOx ( 621550 )

        I think the only people that actually like non-repairable devices are the corporations.

        I hope that true but I don't think it is. A big segment of the consumer market, just isn't very forward thinking. They don't have that old yankee ethic, and that isn't surprising corporate America and our keeping up with the Jones society has has been trying to beat that out of people/families for three generations.

        A lot stuff isn't repairable because it cheaply done. Its faster an cheaper to glue stuff together than put it together with replaceable fasteners. If it needs to be somewhat water tight once

    • Louis Rossmann is now living in Texas.

      • by kyoko21 ( 198413 )

        Yup yup!! I can't wait to hear what he says about this and get his take on this bill and whether or not if it has any teeth in its implementation.

    • by Holi ( 250190 )

      Until you look at what the bill covers, and what it excludes

  • by davidwr ( 791652 ) on Monday June 02, 2025 @09:00PM (#65423495) Homepage Journal

    I skimmed the bill and it looks like only the Texas Attorney General gets to enforce it, which means consumers are at the AG's mercy.

    I hope I'm wrong.

    Also, it seems to exclude low-cost items (under $50), gaming consoles, large appliances and microwave ovens, and most things whose target market is not your average consumer. It also excludes non-home-use and prescription medical devices as well as some other things.

    • I too skimmed it. I'm not sure what it does cover. Maybe targeted to Apple Cell Phones and screen replacements. At first I figured it was a favor to farm/rancher for equipment, but that too is excluded not included. The exclusion list is 2/3rd's of the document.

      And yes, it looks like only the AG has purview.

      • The right to repair a very small list of items. Woooo!

      • Seeing as it's Texas, and that Texas has a large farm-based economy, I'd imagine this is more to target things like John Deere tractors that have basically made it impossible (with the help of DRM) to fix without getting the manufacturer involved.
        • by Anonymous Coward

          You don't have to imagine anything. You can just read the text of the bill.

          Sec. 121.002. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER.
          ...
          (b) This chapter does not apply to:

          ...
          (5) a manufacturer of farm equipment who complies with
          a memorandum of understanding or any oth

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by gtall ( 79522 )

      If it is up to Att. Gen. Ken Paxton, then it doesn't matter whether Texas has the bill or not. He's for sale to the highest bidder. Texas, or as it is more politely called, Hell, is no place for people or animals.

      • by Konings ( 43693 )

        Naw. It will be someone else. Ken Paxton is about to take John Cornyn's place as Senator.

    • Appliances are usually pretty repairable already (although getting service manuals can be the limiting step) but a long list of exclusions seems like it'll be self defeating.
  • Why stop at just picking on Silicon Valley, and by extension California's produce.
    What about the car & tractor manufacturers?
    The dealership lock in that's been steadily evolving over the years, as technology has become more prevalent in vehicles, needs reining in.
    Too hot for the politicians to touch I think. Easier to stick it to a Democratic state than the likes of John Deere.
    You're going to get e-waste regardlessly, thats just the nature of consumer computing technology and smart phones as they rapidl

  • i'm a life long democrat. this is non-partisan. let's repair the old stuff as it generally was better made than the new.
  • by Felix Baum ( 6314928 ) on Tuesday June 03, 2025 @02:41AM (#65423823)
    Please shout out to our tireless champion of right-to-repair since 2011! THANK YOU ROSSMAN! https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
  • In the name of greenliness manufacturers must produce and package replacement parts? That few people will ever buy and which will ultimately be liquidated? We'll never learn, will we?
  • can ask the Gop to fix the mess they have made.
  • There's little point in this, if manufacturers can obey this law and yet still have maintenance remain illegal due to federal law.

    Can I take this as a sign that a major party is rethinking their up-to-now support for DMCA?

  • It apparently is restricted to computers (desktops. laptops, cellphones),

    AN ACT relating to diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of certain digital electronic equipment.

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