The Oregon House of Representatives passed a strong Right-to-Repair bill by a 42-13 margin that would guarantee that repairs can be obtained anywhere. If enacted into state law, the bill, if signed by the governor, would place restrictions on parts pairing for all products manufactured after 2025.

The bill would require electronics manufacturers to make repairs easier for customers, including easier access to replacement parts, tools, and information on how to repair them. iFixit says the bill would include laptops, phones, and most common electronic devices except medical devices, farm equipment, and game consoles. most electronic devices, with the exception of laptops, phones, and medical devices, farm equipment, and video game consoles.

Access to parts and processes is a pretty big win on its own, but the Oregon law also cracks down on a practice known as parts pairing.

Parts pairing is a method of limiting repairs to authorized service centers. Essentially, this means that you cannot take the same part off the shelf and replace it yourself. This is because even if you repair it perfectly, the new part will likely not be a perfect match for the device because the serial numbers will not match. In other words, as iFixit points out, if you replace a cell phone battery with another one, the cell phone will recognize the replacement and some features may no longer work. Although the issue most notably affects cell phone repairs, part pairing could be used to justify similar actions on gaming laptops and handhelds.

In terms of repair rights, parts pairing is the absolute worst. It also does great harm to independent repair shop owners who cannot provide the same level of service as the manufacturer. That is why the Oregon law that includes restrictions on parts pairing for all devices sold after January 1, 2025 is seen by activists as a major victory.

"The right to repair is getting stronger. Oregon passed the best bill ever," says Nathan Proctor, senior director of PIRG's right to repair campaign. [Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, said, "I am proud of my home state of Oregon for passing the strongest electronics right to repair bill. By applying to most products manufactured after 2015, this law opens the door for Oregonians to repair products that need repair right now." And it will protect repairs for years to come by limiting the practice of restricting repairs by pairing parts. We will not stop fighting until everyone, everywhere, has these rights."

Google expressed support for the Oregon law earlier this year, but Apple has opposed it due to security concerns. iFixit reports that Apple has "allowed all other major smartphone makers to offer selfies without artificially limiting functionality or issuing offensive warnings, without camera replacements, screen replacements, and battery replacements," noting that the company has yet to explain "why it is allowing these replacements.

With similar legislation underway in other states, such as California, and President Biden supporting it, the tide seems to be turning in favor of more easily repairable electronic devices in general. And it is by no means too early in the day.