HB 1094 Fair Repair Act; access to diagnostics, tools, service documentation, and firmware, penalties

About HB-1094

Fair Repair Act; access to diagnostics, tools, service documentation, and firmware; penalties. Requires the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of digital electronic equipment, or parts for such equipment, to make available to owners of such equipment and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, documentation, parts, and tools for purposes of diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of such equipment. The bill requires, for digital electronic equipment that contains an electronic security lock or other security-related function, OEMs to make available to the owner and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, any special documentation, tools, and parts needed to disable the lock or function, and to reset it when disabled. A violation is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023.