Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires electronics manufacturers to provide consumers in Pennsylvania with reasonable documentation, including parts lists, necessary to repair and maintain their products.

Highlights:

• Requires Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to make documentation, parts, and tools available, as reasonable, required to diagnose, maintain, and repair their equipment (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that this Section does not require an OEM to make parts or tools available that are no longer available to the OEM (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits OEMs of digital electronic equipment manufactured after July 1, 2021, from using parts that are intended to do any of the following (Sec. 3):

• Prevent an independent repair provider or owner from installing an otherwise functional replacement part, including parts not approved by the OEM;

• Reduce the functionality or performance of the digital electronic equipment; or

• Cause digital electronic equipment to display misleading alerts about unidentified parts which the owner cannot immediately dismiss.

• Establishes a civil penalty for violations of this Act of $1,000 to $10,000 (Sec. 4).

• Specifies that the provisions of this Act may not do any of the following (Sec. 5):

• Require an OEM to disclose a trade secret;

• Alter the terms of an arrangement in force between an authorized repair provider and an OEM;

• Authorize an individual to alter equipment in a manner that violates an environmental, safety, or other law;

• Hold an OEM liable for damage or injury caused by an independent repair provider or owner which occurs during repair, diagnosis, or maintenance;

• Require an OEM to warrant repairs provided by independent repair providers or owners;

• Require an OEM to provide documentation or tools used for diagnosis, maintenance, or repair that is performed virtually or by machinery;

• Require an OEM to provide source code; or

• Invalidate or alter the terms of any agreement between an OEM and an authorized repair provider.

• Exempts the following parties from the provisions of this Act (Sec. 5):

• Motor vehicle manufacturers;

• Manufacturers or distributors of a medical device, or a digital electronic product or software manufactured for use in a medical setting;

• A manufacturer, distributor, importer, or dealer of various forms of industrial equipment; and

• An OEM that provides reimbursement or replacement of equipment it manufactured at no cost to the owner of the equipment.

• Specifies that this Act does not require an OEM or authorized repair provider to make parts, tools, or documentation available for video game consoles, components, or peripherals (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that this Act takes effect 180 days after passage (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text