HB 311 creates the “Motorized Wheelchair Right to Repair Act” and adds a new part to chapter 559, Florida Statutes, governing repair access for motorized wheelchairs sold or used in Florida. The bill requires original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to make available, on fair and reasonable terms, the documentation, parts, and tools needed for diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of motorized wheelchairs, including updates to that information. It also specifically requires OEMs to provide the special documentation, tools, and parts needed to access and reset electronic security locks or other security-related functions when those features are disabled during repair.
The bill defines key terms such as “authorized repair provider,” “independent repair provider,” “owner,” “parts,” “tools,” and “documentation,” and it applies to wheelchairs sold or in use on or after July 1, 2025. It allows OEMs to satisfy the access requirement directly or through authorized repair providers, but it does not require disclosure of trade secrets. It also preserves existing authorized repair arrangements, including warranty and recall repair relationships, while voiding any contract term that would waive the OEM’s obligations under the act. Violations are treated as unlawful practices under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and OEMs or authorized repair providers are shielded from liability for damage or injury caused by an owner or independent repair provider during repair work.
The bill’s impact would be to expand repair access for wheelchair owners and independent repair shops, potentially lowering repair costs, reducing delays, and improving service options for people who rely on motorized wheelchairs. It would also impose new compliance obligations on manufacturers and their repair networks, especially regarding the availability of diagnostic software, calibration tools, replacement parts, and security-reset capabilities. Because the bill is framed as a right-to-repair measure, it would likely affect how manufacturers structure service documentation, parts distribution, and repair support in Florida.
The available legislative history shows no recorded committee transcript discussion or votes, but the bill ultimately died in Senate Fiscal Policy on June 16, 2025. That suggests the measure did not advance to enactment despite being introduced as a consumer-access and mobility-focused repair bill. The absence of recorded debate in the provided materials limits insight into detailed support or opposition, but the structure of the bill indicates a policy balance between repair access for consumers and protections for manufacturer trade secrets and existing service arrangements.
Notable points of contention likely center on the scope of manufacturer obligations, the meaning of “fair and reasonable terms,” and whether requiring access to diagnostic tools and security-reset functions could burden OEMs or expose proprietary systems. The bill attempts to address those concerns by excluding trade secrets, preserving authorized repair agreements, and limiting liability for repair-related damage caused by independent actors. Support would likely come from wheelchair users, disability advocates, and independent repair providers, while opposition would likely come from manufacturers concerned about intellectual property, security, and service-network control.
HB 311 would create a new statutory right-to-repair framework for motorized wheelchairs in chapter 559, Florida Statutes, effective July 1, 2025. It would require OEMs to provide documentation, parts, and tools to owners and independent repair providers, including access to security-related reset information, and would make noncompliance an unfair trade practice enforceable under Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The bill would also preserve trade secret protections and existing authorized repair arrangements, while voiding contract terms that attempt to waive the act’s requirements.
The bill appears generally consumer- and accessibility-oriented, with an underlying policy goal of improving repair access for people who use motorized wheelchairs. Even though no committee transcript or vote record is provided, the measure’s death in Senate Fiscal Policy indicates it did not secure final legislative approval. The text suggests an effort to balance support for independent repair with protections for manufacturers, which is typical of right-to-repair legislation and often reflects mixed stakeholder sentiment.
The main points of contention are likely the extent of OEM obligations to share repair documentation, software, tools, and parts; the requirement to provide access to electronic security locks; and the meaning of “fair and reasonable terms.” Manufacturers may object that the bill could expose proprietary systems or create security risks, while disability advocates, wheelchair owners, and independent repair providers would likely support broader access to repairs and lower service barriers. The bill tries to reduce conflict by exempting trade secrets, preserving authorized repair agreements, and limiting liability for damage caused by independent repairs.