4:45pm Monday, July 1, 2024
A new Minnesota law went into effect July 1, expanding access to “right to repair” technology, and Golden Valley repair shops could benefit.
The Digital Fair Repairs Act was included in Governor Walz’s spending bill and signed into law in 2023. It went into effect on July 1 and stipulates that manufacturers must provide parts, information and tools to anyone who wants to repair their products.
Steve Reed, president of Fix My Busted Computer in Golden Valley, said he wasn’t sure how much of a change this would mean for his job, but he said that until now he hasn’t been able to get replacement parts for new Apple products.
“You end up having to rely on third parties,” Reed says, “sometimes overseas, on eBay, on Amazon, or other parts distributors to get parts now.”
Steve Reed operates a computer at the Golden Valley store.
There’s never a dull moment in the repair shop – it’s a busy but quiet job, with employees tackling all sorts of problems.
“People break things and we end up fixing them – ‘Fixing Broken Computers’ – the name says it all,” Reed said.
At the factory on Monday, workers examined dust, malfunctions and even technology damaged by lightning, with Reed saying some issues can be hard to fix if parts are hard to access.
Repairs for everyone
Reed said he is familiar with the bill but is still considering what changes it will bring to his business and what it will mean for his customers.
“We’re trying to figure out exactly how we can utilize this technology,” Reed said, “because we don’t know exactly where we’re going to get new parts, paperwork, tools and all the different things that are required by law.”
He hopes it will solve many more problems in the future.
Attorney General Keith Ellison has answered some frequently asked questions about the law on his website: The new law only applies to products sold after July 1, 2021.
Golden Valley
