Congressional Support for 'Right to Repair Act' Reaches 40

Reps. Berkley, Clarke, Miller Co-Sponsor H.R. 2694

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 13, 2008; Congressional support for the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694) has reached 40 sponsors, it was announced today by Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA).

"We want to thank the three new co-sponsors for their support of this vital piece of legislation and their commitment to ensuring that their constituents retain the ability to choose where to have their vehicle serviced and repaired," said Schmatz. "Vehicles are becoming increasingly sophisticated with virtually every system either monitored or controlled by computers. Servicing these vehicles to keep them in safe working condition requires ready access to complete and accurate information from the car companies. Right to Repair ensures that car owners and their trusted repair shops have the same access to safety alerts and repair information as the franchised new car dealer network."

The three new legislators supporting the "Right to Repair Act" are Reps. Shelly Berkley (D-NV), Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Brad Miller (D-NC). A complete list of co-sponsors and a copy of the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act (HR 2694) can be found by visiting www.righttorepair.org.

About Right to Repair:

The Right to Repair Act, which was introduced by Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), would require car companies to make the same service information and tools capabilities available to independent repair shops that they provide their to their franchised dealer networks. The legislation further provides car companies with strong protections for their trade secrets unless that information is provided to the franchised new car dealers. The bill clarifies the responsibilities of the Federal Trade Commission in enforcing the bill's requirements. For more information about the Right to Repair Act, visit http://www.righttorepair.org/.