Congressional support for the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act continues to grow. Nine new co-sponsors signed on to H.R. 2048, also known as the "Right to Repair Act," raising the number of co-sponsors to 50.
"We applaud the most recent co-sponsors for supporting a vital piece of legislation that benefits every consumer who owns a vehicle as well as every small business owner in the automotive aftermarket," says Kathleen Schmatz, CEO and president of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA).
"The grass roots marketing by AAIA and its partners, combined with frequent visibility on Capitol Hill, is clearly paying off. We are keeping the pressure on the car companies and building support in the House."
The nine new legislators from the House of Representatives supporting the Right to Repair Act are:
* Michael Bilirakis (R-Fla.).
* Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.)
* Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.).
* Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.).
* Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.).
* Sue Myrick (R-N.C.).
* John Peterson (R-Pa.).
* Bobby Rush (D-Ill.).
* Ted Strickland (D-Ohio).
The Right to Repair Act, which was introduced by Reps. Joe Barton, (R-Texas), Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) and Darrel Issa (R-Calif.), would require the car companies to make the same service information available to independents that they provide their franchised dealer networks.
Architects of the Right to Repair Act added new language this year to clarify that car company trade secrets are protected unless that information is provided to the franchised new car dealer. The new language also clarifies the responsibilities of the Federal Trade Commission in enforcing the bill's requirements.
For more information about the Right to Repair Act, visit www.RightToRepair.org.
