Hello my amazing followers! Today I bring you some exciting news about Oregon’s upcoming right-to-repair law. SB 1596 has passed the Oregon legislature and is now awaiting Governor Tina Kotek’s signature within the next five days.

One of the key features of this law is the ban on “parts pairing,” a practice that restricts consumers from using certain components unless approved by the company’s software. Similar to California’s law, Oregon’s bill also requires companies to provide the same parts, tools, and repair documents to consumers as they do to authorized repair shops.

While California mandates that companies make these items available for seven years, Oregon’s bill does not specify a timeframe, leaving it open for companies to decide when to stop production. The law includes exemptions for certain devices like video game consoles, medical equipment, and electric toothbrushes.

Although the law won’t apply to phones sold before July 1st, 2021, it will cover all other gadgets sold after July 1st, 2015. The ban on parts pairing will only affect consumer electronics manufactured after January 1st, 2025.

The bill received strong support in both the Oregon senate and house, passing with significant margins. Despite opposition from companies like Apple, the right-to-repair movement is gaining momentum, with advocates like iFixit CEO Kyle Weins celebrating Oregon’s progress.