To allow for local electronic repair shops to repair Apple phones
House Bill 2155 would create the Electronic Right to Repair Act in West Virginia. The bill requires original equipment manufacturers of digital electronic equipment to make available, on fair and reasonable terms, the documentation, parts, and tools needed to diagnose, maintain, and repair their products. It defines key terms such as digital electronic equipment, independent repair provider, owner, parts, tools, documentation, and original equipment manufacturer, and it applies to equipment sold or in use on or after the effective date.
The bill also requires manufacturers to provide access to special documentation, tools, and parts needed to access or reset electronic security locks or other security-related functions when those functions are disabled during repair. At the same time, it preserves trade secret protections, does not require disclosure of source code or firmware, and does not alter existing authorized repair provider arrangements except to void any contract terms that would waive the manufacturer’s obligations under the act. It also excludes motor vehicles and motor vehicle dealers from its coverage.
If enacted, the bill would add a new article to the West Virginia Code governing repair access for digital electronic equipment and would impose affirmative obligations on manufacturers to support independent repair and owner repairs. It would affect manufacturers, authorized repair providers, independent repair shops, and consumers by standardizing access to repair materials and limiting contractual restrictions that interfere with the new statutory rights. The bill would not apply to motor vehicles or require disclosure of trade secrets, source code, or firmware.
The available context suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill, with its stated purpose framed around consumer choice, competition, and support for local repair businesses. The caption specifically highlights allowing local electronic repair shops to repair Apple phones, indicating a practical consumer and small-business focus. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no evidence of formal opposition or amendment debate in the supplied materials.
The main points of contention are likely to be the scope of manufacturer obligations and the balance between repair access and intellectual property or security concerns. The bill requires manufacturers to provide parts, tools, and documentation on fair and reasonable terms, but it also limits the law by excluding trade secrets, source code, firmware, and motor vehicles. Another likely issue is whether the bill sufficiently protects security-related functions and whether the pricing and access standards for parts and tools are workable for manufacturers and authorized repair networks.