Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed the Right to Repair Law as part of the Commerce Omnibus Bill.
The senior director of the US PIRG Right to Repair campaign said that the law would force the manufacturers to cooperate in cutting e-waste and saving consumers money. The new law goes into effect on 1 July 2024 and will require manufacturers to make parts, tools, and product information for consumers and independent repair shops. All electronics except video consoles, specialised cybersecurity and critical infrastructure devices, medical devices, motor vehicles, off-road vehicles, and farm and construction equipment fall under the new legislation.
The state of Minnesota is now the fourth state in the United States with the Right to Repair and only second, whose law covers multiple industries. The state governor also said that he expects other states to follow suit. In 2022, the state of New York was the first to protect consumers' right to repair their tech by passing a broad electronics bill. Minnesota, however, expanded it to include a wider range of equipment and remove loopholes.