Right to Repair legislation has been reintroduced in the New Jersey Assembly. Assembly Bill 230 addresses the availability of service information to independent repair shops. The Automotive Service Association (ASA) calls on all New Jersey repairers to contact their legislators to oppose this legislation.
The Right to Repair legislation puts at risk the progress that has been made through the Automotive Service Association-Automaker Agreement, which already provides independent repairers access to service, tool and training information. The best forum for airing complaints and ensuring future cooperation between the automotive service industry and the automakers is through the already established National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF), www.nastf.org.
NASTF is a cooperative effort among the automotive service industry, the equipment and tool industry and automotive manufacturers to ensure that automotive service professionals have the information, training and tools needed to properly diagnose and repair today’s high-tech vehicles. NASTF has successfully addressed the limited number of service information issues for more than a decade. In addition, automotive repairers continue to use independent, third-party service information providers for their service information needs.
When the New Jersey Committee began consideration of Assembly Bill 230, ASA sent a letter to Consumer Affairs Committee Chair Paul Moriarty expressing opposition to the bill. In the letter, Bob Redding, ASA’s Washington, D.C. representative, stated: “The U.S. Congress has said 'No' to Right to Repair legislation since 2002. The passage of Assembly Bill 230 would not improve the availability of repair information or consumer repair choice in New Jersey… This legislation ultimately promotes, without a compelling governmental rationale, the following: more government bureaucracy, more regulation and more litigation.”
This bill was reported by the Committee on Consumer Affairs on March 16. ASA asks that all independent automotive repairers in New Jersey contact their state legislators and urge them to oppose this legislation. To do so, visit ASA’s legislative website, www.TakingTheHill.com and select “Legislation.”
