WASHINGTON — Eight more members of congress have signed on to co-sponsor the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act (H.R. 906).
The bill is supported by the Tire Industry Association (TIA), the Auto Care Association (ACA), the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), the CAR Coalition and MEMA Aftermarket.
In addition to original sponsor Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., and co-sponsors Reps. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., congressional supporters of the REPAIR Act include:
- Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.;
- Glenn Thompson, R-Pa.;
- Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo.;
- Tim Walberg, R-Mich.;
- Ro Khanna, D-Calif.;
- Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla.;
- Ann Kuster, D-N.H.; and
- Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.
Gimenez said the REPAIR Act's public safety provisions are critical to his support.
"As a career first responder, protecting the American people and our public safety has been one of my top priorities in Congress," he said. "I'm proud to join my colleagues in co-sponsoring the bipartisan REPAIR Act, which ensures that car owners have access to their vehicle's data and can make informed, cost-saving decisions on where to take their car for repairs."
According to the bill's supporters, the REPAIR Act will:
- Preserve consumer access to high quality and affordable vehicle repair by ensuring that vehicle owners and their repairers of choice have access to necessary repair and maintenance tools and data as vehicles continue to become more advanced;
- Ensure cybersecurity by allowing vehicle manufacturers to secure vehicle-generated data and requiring the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to develop standards for how vehicle-generated data necessary for repair can be accessed securely;
- Provide transparency for consumers by requiring vehicle owners be informed that they can choose where and how to get their vehicle repaired;
- Create a stakeholder advisory committee and providing them with the statutory authority to provide recommendations to the FTC on how to address emerging barriers to vehicle repair and maintenance; and
- Provide ongoing enforcement by establishing a process for consumers and independent repair facilities to file complaints with the FTC regarding alleged violations of the requirements in the bill and a requirement that the FTC act within five months of a claim.
The REPAIR Act is the only bill that addresses vehicle maintenance and repair restrictions, including heavy-duty vehicles, according to its supporters.
Automotive aftermarket companies can urge legislators in their district to co-sponsor the bill at repairact.com.
