Colorado House Committee Rejects Exemptions to Right-to-Repair Laws
Why It Matters
Colorado has been at the forefront of the national right-to-repair movement, and a vote in a state House committee this week reinforced that position. A measure that would have created carve-outs to the state’s existing right-to-repair protections was rejected, leaving intact a series of laws that limit manufacturers’ control over how consumers and businesses service their own equipment.
The outcome has implications for Colorado consumers, farmers, and small businesses who rely on independent repair shops rather than manufacturer-authorized service centers — often a more affordable and accessible option.
What Happened
A Colorado House committee voted down Senate Bill 90 on Monday, defeating a proposal that would have established exemptions to the state’s right-to-repair statutes. The bill had cleared the Senate before arriving in the House committee, where it was ultimately rejected.
The legislation sought to walk back certain consumer protections that Colorado lawmakers have built incrementally over three consecutive years. Committee members voted against advancing the exemptions, keeping the existing framework in place.
Colorado’s right-to-repair efforts began in 2022 with a law giving powered wheelchair users the ability to take their equipment to independent repair shops rather than being locked into manufacturer service options. Lawmakers expanded those protections in 2023 to cover agricultural equipment — machinery that often carries proprietary software specifically designed to prevent third-party repairs.
In 2024, Colorado extended right-to-repair protections to digital equipment and added a provision barring manufacturers from installing components that degrade functionality or generate misleading alerts when third-party parts are used. That most recent law took effect in January of this year.
By the Numbers
7–4: The committee vote margin rejecting Senate Bill 90.
3: Consecutive years Colorado lawmakers passed right-to-repair legislation, from 2022 through 2024.
2022: The year Colorado’s first right-to-repair law took effect, protecting powered wheelchair users.
2023: Agricultural equipment right-to-repair protections added, targeting proprietary software restrictions.
January 2026: The effective date of Colorado’s most recent digital equipment right-to-repair law.
Zoom Out
Colorado’s approach reflects a broader national debate about who has the authority to repair the products consumers purchase. At the federal level, the Federal Trade Commission has pushed for expanded repair rights, arguing that manufacturer monopolies on repairs drive up costs and limit consumer choice — a position that aligns with free-market principles of competition and individual ownership rights.
Other states have passed or considered similar legislation, but Colorado stands out for the speed and scope of its legislative push. Agricultural communities in particular have championed right-to-repair laws, frustrated by proprietary software on farming equipment that forces them to wait on manufacturer technicians rather than handling repairs locally — a significant burden during time-sensitive planting and harvest seasons.
The debate also intersects with technology policy more broadly. As AI-powered license plate readers and other digital systems spread across Colorado, questions about who controls technology — and who is permitted to service, modify, or audit it — are becoming increasingly consequential for everyday Coloradans.
Meanwhile, the state continues to navigate competing pressures around technology, infrastructure, and economic development. Dueling bills targeting data centers have stalled in the Colorado legislature, reflecting broader tensions over how the state manages its relationship with large tech industry players.
What’s Next
With Senate Bill 90 defeated in committee, Colorado’s existing right-to-repair laws remain fully intact. The 2024 digital equipment law, which took effect in January, will continue to be implemented and enforced under its current terms.
Proponents of the exemptions may revisit the issue in a future legislative session, while right-to-repair advocates are likely to monitor compliance with the existing statutes — particularly the prohibition on manufacturers using software or components to penalize consumers for using independent repair services.
Whether further expansions to right-to-repair protections are introduced in Colorado remains to be seen, but the committee vote signals that the current legislative majority has little appetite for rolling back the consumer protections passed over the last three years.