“It was also important to Microsoft that the bill only cover products manufactured after the bill’s implementation date, and that manufacturers be required to provide the public only the same parts and documents that their authorized repair providers already receive.”
Microsoft helped kill a Washington repair bill in 2019 and backed one in 2023, after shareholders pushed it in 2021. The support came with terms: certified and insured repair shops, nothing retroactive, and no parts beyond what authorized partners already get. The bill passed the House 58 to 38 and died in a Senate committee, where former Apple executive Lisa Wellman joined the opposition. Apple did not need a lobbyist in the room. It had a former executive on the committee.