A new bill could harm Colorado residents’ ability to repair and upgrade their own items. Colorado’s SB26-090 was approved in a 5-0 vote by the Senate Business, Labor, & Technology Committee earlier this month and is now advancing through the state legislature.
Colorado’s SB26-090 seeks to exempt “information technology equipment intended for use in critical infrastructure” from the state’s Consumer Right to Repair Digital Electronic Equipment Act. When that law was signed in 2024, it was widely seen as a major milestone for Colorado because it required manufacturers of digital electronic equipment to provide owners with the tools, documentation, and schematics needed to repair their devices.
If this new bill is approved, “critical infrastructure” equipment would be exempt. However, the term remains broadly defined in the bill, which raised concerns. Before it can take effect, it still must be approved by both the Senate and the House.
Colorado Residents Believe Right to Repair Could Be Harmed By New Bill
The new bill was heavily criticized by Colorado residents on Reddit, as many could not see how the change would benefit the state in any way: “Why would anyone think this bill is good?” one user asked.
As multiple users explained, the law “gives companies a loophole to define what is critical infrastructure. This broad exception means they wouldn’t be required to release critical information or provide parts to repair the products we own,” which could essentially render the previous law useless.
Other social media users also lamented the bill’s progress in the state’s legislature, saying, “Nice to see Colorado is doing the opposite of Europe.” Others added, “Sometimes Colorado isn’t really as progressive as everyone thinks it is.”
A person also pointed out that the new bill does not only affect hobbyists, as some people have argued: “Even registered techs/professionals will still be stuck with the existing repair programs with the inability to buy parts or get access to documentation for troubleshooting.”
It remains to be seen how the bill would ultimately affect Colorado’s landmark right-to-repair law. However, if the residents’ fears are correct, the previous legislation could prove to be short-lived.
