Summary

This legislation amends the general business law in relation to the sale of electronic equipment, requiring electronic companies to provide diagnostic and repair information to consumers and repair businesses.  

Explanation

This legislation would require the original equipment manufacturers of digital electronics to provide information on repairing the devices customers purchase. Requiring digital electronics companies to provide information and parts to consumers and local repair shops would help local governments reduce electronic waste while supporting local independent repair businesses and unburdening families from the cost of electronics.   

Roughly 20,000 new digital devices are introduced each year, and most of them are unable to be repaired due to big manufacturers withholding critical parts, manuals, and diagnostics tools. In turn, most of the lower-cost devices cannot be properly fixed, and consumers instead resort to buying new digital devices. If these tools were required to be available, local repair businesses could provide sufficient digital diagnostic and repair services, grow their businesses, and employ community members.  

According to a USPIRG study, New York consumers would save $2.4 billion collectively per year if they had the right and access to fix their electronics (the average New York family would save approximately $330 annually). Often these repairs are simple enough to extend the life of electronic products, creating greater availability of affordable used devices. Repairing electronics rather than purchasing new ones would reduce electronic waste, of which New York currently generates 655,000 tons per year.   

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