BOSTON (Nov. 22, 2013) — The Massachusetts legislature has passed a bill reconciling the conflicting versions of the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act that became law in 2012.
The bill contains an amendment, originally attached to the House version, that adds heavy-duty vehicles (those over 14,000 pounds) to the bill's requirements.
H3757 passed both the Massachusetts Senate and Assembly late on Nov. 20, a week after the Assembly sent the bill to the Senate.
The bill requires vehicle manufacturers doing business in Massachusetts to make available for sale to vehicle owners and independent repair shops the same repair and diagnostic information they make available to their dealers, beginning with model year 2002.
Starting with model year 2018, it also requires auto makers to provide access to their diagnostic and repair information systems to any owner or repair shop with an off-the-shelf personal computer.
On July 31, 2012, the Massachusetts legislature passed a Right to Repair bill. However, passage was four weeks too late to prevent inclusion of a more strongly worded Right to Repair measure on the November state ballot. The measure passed with 86 percent of the vote.
The bill now goes to Gov. Deval Patrick, who has until Nov. 30 to sign it.