Equipment Maintenance and Repair

Maine Legislature Talks Right to Repair

April 25, 2023

Bill draws mixed reactions

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A right-to-repair bill drew mixed reactions at a Maine legislative committee hearing this week.

Advocates of the legislation said it would let Mainers have equipment serviced at lower costs. But opponents said the measure would hurt businesses that have trained repair workers and also could expose the public to security or safety hazards, Yahoo and the Portland Press Herald reported.

"What we can't support is the unchecked ability to modify equipment," Timothy Wentz, of the Northeast Equipment Dealers Association, told members of the Legislature's Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee.

The proposed law would require manufacturers to provide access to software used to operate the equipment as well as specialized tools to do repairs.

Frank Raczon

Raczon’s writing career spans nearly 25 years, including magazine publishing and public relations work with some of the industry’s major equipment manufacturers. He has won numerous awards in his career, including nods from the Construction Writers Association, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and BtoB magazine. He is responsible for the magazine's Buying Files.