Requires manufacturers of assisting technology devices to make available to independent repair providers/the owner of the device, any documentation/parts, software/other items intended for use with the equipment/parts, including updates to software.
H5017 creates a new chapter in Rhode Island commercial law establishing a “right to consumer access to powered wheelchair repairs.” The bill defines a wide set of terms covering powered wheelchairs, complex rehabilitation technology, qualified suppliers, independent repair providers, manufacturers, loaner chairs, firmware, tools, and related health-plan concepts. Its core purpose is to ensure that consumers and independent repair providers can obtain the documentation, parts, software, firmware, and tools needed to inspect, diagnose, maintain, and repair powered wheelchairs.
The bill prohibits health plans from requiring prior authorization or medical documentation for repairs to consumer-owned complex wheelchairs, and it requires suppliers who sell complex power or manual wheelchairs to provide service and repairs during the useful life of the equipment, subject to limited exceptions. It also allows consumers to self-repair or use independent repair providers for certain non-programmable components, while preserving manufacturer trade secret protections and limiting manufacturer liability for faulty independent repairs. The act applies to specified insurance products, public employee plans, and Medicaid-managed care arrangements beginning January 1, 2026, and authorizes the Department of Business Regulation and the health insurance commissioner to adopt rules to implement and enforce it.
The bill’s impact on state law is to expand consumer repair rights in the wheelchair and assistive technology market and to impose affirmative obligations on manufacturers and suppliers operating in Rhode Island. It would affect original equipment manufacturers, authorized repair suppliers, independent repair providers, consumers who use complex rehabilitation technology, health insurers, public employee health plans, and Medicaid-related coverage. It also creates a regulatory framework that ties repair access to insurance coverage and payment practices, rather than treating wheelchair repair solely as a product-service issue.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill’s history is strongly favorable. The measure passed the House committee and both chambers with unanimous or near-unanimous votes, indicating broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition in the recorded history. The lack of recorded committee testimony or dissent suggests the bill was viewed as a consumer-access and disability-access measure rather than a controversial regulatory expansion.
The main points of contention that could arise from the text concern the balance between consumer repair access and manufacturer protections. The bill requires manufacturers to provide parts, tools, and documentation on fair and reasonable terms, but it also preserves trade secrets and limits liability for improper independent repairs. Other potentially sensitive issues include the scope of the repair obligation, the exclusion of certain programmable or clinically involved components from self-repair, and the administrative burden on suppliers and insurers. However, no significant opposition appears in the available legislative record.
The bill adds a new chapter to Title 6 of the Rhode Island General Laws and directly regulates how powered wheelchairs and complex rehabilitation technology are repaired, serviced, and supported. It requires manufacturers to provide repair materials and access on fair and reasonable terms, bars prior authorization and medical documentation requirements for certain repairs, obligates suppliers to service the equipment they sell, and extends the law to private insurance, public employee plans, and Medicaid-related coverage. It also authorizes state regulators to issue implementing rules, thereby creating new compliance duties for manufacturers, suppliers, and payers.
The recorded legislative sentiment is overwhelmingly positive. The bill passed the House committee and both chambers unanimously or nearly unanimously, with no recorded dissent in the voting history provided. That pattern suggests broad agreement that the measure improves access to needed wheelchair repairs and supports consumers with disabilities.
The principal policy tension is between consumer repair access and manufacturer control over proprietary information, safety, and service networks. Manufacturers may be concerned about the obligation to provide documentation, parts, firmware, and tools, while consumer advocates are likely to support the right-to-repair framework. Additional areas of possible concern include the limits on self-repair for programmable or clinically sensitive components, the definition of fair and reasonable terms, and the operational burden on suppliers and insurers. No major opposition is reflected in the available transcripts or votes.