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California just became the third state to pass an electronics right-to-repair act. Senate Bill 244<\/a> passed in a 50\u20130 vote in the California state Assembly on September 12th. The bill also passed the California Senate back in May with a 38\u20130 vote<\/a>. The bill is now headed for a final concurrence vote in the Senate before heading to California Governor Gavin Newsom\u2019s desk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n California now follows in the footsteps of Minnesota<\/a> and New York<\/a>. Both states approved similar right-to-repair legislation in the past year. However, the California bill stands out in that it requires companies to expand access to repair materials like parts, tools, documentation, and software for a longer period of time. The bill outlines three years for products costing $50 to $99.99 and seven years for products priced at $100 or more. The bill will cover electronics and appliances made and sold after July 1st, 2021. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n While California\u2019s bill isn\u2019t the first, it is<\/em> significant in that this is happening in California. Not only is it where most Big Tech companies are based but California is also one of the most densely populated states in the US. Whatever legislative trends start in California tend to proliferate nationwide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAccessible, affordable, widely available repair benefits everyone,\u201d said Kyle Wiens, iFixit CEO, in a statement<\/a>. iFixit, which is known for its right-to-repair advocacy and gadget teardowns, also co-sponsored SB 244. \u201cWe\u2019re especially thrilled to see this bill pass in the state where iFixit is headquartered, which also happens to be Big Tech\u2019s backyard. Since Right to Repair can pass here, expect it to be on its way to a backyard near you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWhile manufacturers have spent many years frustrating repair technicians and opposing Right to Repair legislation, thankfully, many notably Apple, have come around,\u201d Nathan Proctor, senior director of the Public Interest Research Group\u2019s right-to-repair campaign, said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s good news, because as important as this legislation is, we have more to do if we want a more sustainable relationship with the electronics that power our modern lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That said, it\u2019s not over until everything is set in ink. New York\u2019s right-to-repair bill, for example, heavily disappointed activists after it was significantly weakened due to last-minute amendments that conceded convenient loopholes to manufacturers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n