Latest news with #RightToRepair
CBS News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Sens. Warren, Sheehy team up on bipartisan military bill backed by Trump administration
Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren, one of the most liberal members of the U.S. Senate, is teaming up with Montana Republican Tim Sheehy, one of the upper chamber's most conservative, to advance a new Pentagon policy that has earned support from top Trump administration officials. Warren and Sheehy are introducing legislation on Tuesday that would give the Department of Defense the "right to repair" its own military equipment — a policy that could save the Pentagon money, resources and, most critically, time. The legislation, called "The Warrior Right to Repair Act", has bipartisan support and is expected to be included in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act, which approves funds and policy for the DOD. Traditionally, defense contractors who provide the U.S. military with equipment often restrict the DOD's ability to conduct its own repairs, leading to higher costs, delays and waste. Warren and Sheehy pointed to instances where the Navy had to fly contractors out to sea to perform routine fixes or Marines in Japan had to send engines back to the U.S. for repair instead of on site, and Marines in Korea having to choose between violating contracts or delaying training exercises because machinery was inoperable. And, they said, in some instances, the Army can't write its own training manual without sign off from a contractor. The senators also note the exorbitant costs of repair by a contractor compared to that by a service member, and that many defense contracts prohibit sharing intellectual property and technical data with the DOD that would enable service members to repair their own equipment. Warren and Sheehy both sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and are concerned about the impact on military readiness and flexibility as well as on national security. And each has a unique approach to the policy. Warren has long advocated for this change, and views it as fighting against consolation and for more competition. Warren pushed the issue during Army Secretary Dan Driscoll's confirmation hearing, and he agreed with her concerns. In April, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Army to include right-to-repair provisions in all new and existing contracts. "To build a leaner, more lethal force, the Army must transform at an accelerated pace by divesting outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems," Hegseth wrote in a memo to Pentagon leadership. The Secretary of the Navy has also expressed support for a similar policy. The Warren-Sheehy legislation would not only codify that into law, but would also apply across military branches. "It's common sense for members of our military to be able to fix their own weapons. Sen. Sheehy and I are fighting to improve military readiness and save taxpayers billions," Warren said in a statement to CBS. "It's about time we stand up to Pentagon contractors that are squeezing every last cent from us at the expense of our national security." Sheehy is a former Navy SEAL officer, who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and earned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He approaches the issue as having served on the battlefield. "For decades, American service members have been forced to rely on a broken status quo to repair equipment on the battlefield, threatening our readiness and costing taxpayers billions," he said. "Our warfighters – and the American public – deserve better, and I'm proud to lead this bipartisan legislation to streamline bloated bureaucracy, increase competition, and provide our warfighters with the quality and quantity of equipment they need to win the next fight." Driscoll, the Army Secretary, also supports the legislation. "Over the last few decades, the Army has signed away its ability to repair its own equipment. Through the Army Transformation Initiative we are going to ensure that every contract going forward will enable our soldiers to repair their own equipment," he said in a statement. "Doing this will save taxpayer dollars and get equipment back on the battlefield faster. I'm thrilled this important issue has bipartisan support in Congress."
The Verge
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Verge
Texas Right to Repair bill passes, heads to the governor's desk
Texas moved closer to becoming the next state with a right to repair law on the books, as the state Senate unanimously voted 31 - 0 to finalize HB 2963 this weekend. It would require manufacturers to make spare parts, manuals, and necessary tools available for equipment sold or used in the country's second most populated state. As more states have passed right to repair laws, we've seen repair options and information becoming more widely available nationwide from companies like Apple and Samsung. If the bill is signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, that will add another significant market with these requirements in place. A press release from the United States Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), which has pushed for repairability laws nationwide, noted that this would make Texas the ninth state with a right to repair rule, and the seventh with a version that includes consumer electronics. It follows New York, Colorado, Minnesota, California, Oregon, Maine, and most recently, Washington, and would be the first state on the list with a Republican-controlled government. 'More repair means less waste. Texas produces some 621,000 tons of electronic waste per year, which creates an expensive and toxic mess. Now, thanks to this bipartisan win, Texans can fix that,' said Environment Texas executive director Luke Metzger.
CNET
28-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Apple Expands Official Self Service Repair Options to Include iPads
Having iPad trouble? With Apple's May 29 expansion of its Self Service Repair Store, you may be able to fix your device at home. Users will have the choice of taking their iPads into an Apple Store Genius Bar or attempting certain repairs by themselves -- with help from Apple's own resources. The Self Service Repair Store will now offer genuine iPad parts (including displays, batteries, cameras and charging ports), repair toolkits and the ability to arrange an Apple Diagnostics session, among other add-ons. This change also affects independent repair providers who were not previously able to legally repair iPads or offer parts to customers. The service expansion will apply to iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad (A16) models. This follows past expansions Apple has made to its self-repair program, begun in 2022, such as adding the MacBook Pro in 2023. At the time, we noted that this move may be in response to the Right to Repair movement, which has led to repair-oriented legislation in all 50 states. Whatever the reason, Apple has now expanded its own self-repair options to tablet owners. "At Apple, our goal is to create the world's greatest products that last as long as possible," Brian Naumann, Apple's vice president of AppleCare, said in a statement. "With today's announcement, we're excited to expand our repair services to more customers, enabling them to further extend the life of their products — all without compromising safety, security, or privacy." Apple also announced that its Self Service Repair options would be expanding into Canada this summer, making it the 34th country offering the program. A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
GSM Arena
28-05-2025
- Business
- GSM Arena
Apple adds some iPads to the Self Service Repair program
Before 2021, the only way to repair your iPhone was to visit Apple Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Providers that qualified. Apple then introduced the Self Service Repair program after growing pressure from different state and country laws, like the EU's Right to Repair Directive. The program expanded to MacBooks in 2023, and now iPads are next in line. Apple now provides access to repair manuals and spare parts like displays, batteries, cameras and charging ports. Self Service Repair support isn't available to all iPads, though. Apple lists only the iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad (A16) for now. With the new iPads, the Self Service Repair program now covers 65 devices and 33 countries. Canada will also be added to the program sometime this summer. Source
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WA Gov. Ferguson signs Right to Repair bill into law
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Governor Bob Ferguson has signed a wide-ranging Right to Repair bill into law. Lawmakers hope to improve access to quicker and cheaper repairs for an array of digital and mobility devices. Big picture view The Right to Repair Act (HB 1483) will go into effect on July 26 after receiving broad bipartisan support in the legislature. At this point, several practices will be prohibited, such as "parts pairing" which has long limited customers into manufacturer-only repair options. Overall, consumers will now have fairer access to parts, tools and information needed to repair the digital devices often used on a daily basis, according to a statement from the Washington State House Democrats. What they're saying "This bill empowers everyday Washingtonians and small businesses while reducing waste," said Rep. Gregerson. "People deserve the right to fix their own devices without roadblocks." The Source Information for this story came from the Governor's Office and Washington State Democrats. Luxury Seattle hotel sues 'nuisance' building next door Firefighters in western WA train for possibility of 'above average' wildfire season Shawn Kemp lawyers claim bias in Tacoma Mall shooting case as trial nears Federal judge blocks Trump's dismantling of the Department of Education 'Where is Teekah?': Mother speaks out after Tacoma, WA cold case Activist marks 2 weeks in tree to protest logging near Port Angeles Driver arrested after deadly crash in Kent, WA To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
