Aftermarket Insider - June/July 2009 - (Page 15)

r2r in the house government affairs Right to Repair Battle Heats Up In the 111th Congress The Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right 111th H.R. 2057 Sponsored by Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y. 23 Co-sponsors as of June 5, 2009 Rep. Altmire, Jason, D-Pa. Rep. Berkley, Shelly, D-Nev. Rep. Berman, Howard, D-Calif. Rep. Boucher, Rick, D-Va. Rep. Brown, Corinne, D-Fla. Rep. Clarke, Yvette, D-N.Y. Rep. Clay, Wm. Lacy, D-Mo. Rep. DeFazio, Peter A., D-Ore. Rep. Eshoo, Anna G., D-Calif. Rep. Etheridge, Bob, D-N.C. Rep. Filner, Bob, D-Calif. Rep. Gerlach, Jim, R-Pa. Rep. Hare, Phil, D-Ill. Rep. Honda, Michael, D-Calif. Rep. McGovern, James, D-Mass. Rep. Miller, George, D-Calif. Rep. Platts, Todd Russell, R-Pa. Rep. Rogers, Mike D., R-Ala. Rep. Rothman, Steven, D-N.J. Rep. Sestak, Joe, D-Pa. Rep. Shea-Porter, Carol, D-N.H. Rep. Shuler, Heath, D-N.C. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. to Repair Act (H.R. 2057) introduced in April by Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., Ann Eshoo, D-Calif. and George Miller, D-Calif., now boasts 23 co-sponsors*. Aimed at ensuring a level competitive playing field in the vehicle repair market, the legislation requires that car companies make all information, tools and software available to independent repair shops used to repair late-model computer-controlled vehicles. As in past versions, H.R. 2057 provides protections for the vehicle manufacturers’ trade secrets, unless they make them available to the new car dealers, in which case they would be obligated to make the same information, tools and software available to the independent repair industry. Although Right to Repair legislation was first introduced in 2001, the auto industry’s current problems and the political changes in Congress resulting from the 2008 elections, make this an optimal time for Right to Repair. Of course, these changes have also raised the stakes for opponents of Right to Repair, the new car dealers and vehicle manufacturers, who now need that competitive edge in the repair market to compensate for vehicle sale losses. John Dingell, D-Mich., as committee chairman. Dingell has worked hard to keep Right to Repair bottled up to protect his car company constituency. Waxman, on the other hand, has been a co-sponsor of Right to Repair bills in the past, and in 2000 authored legislation requiring car companies to make emissions-related information and tools available to independent service facilities. Although this doesn’t guarantee Right to Repair’s success, it does significantly improve the odds that the bill could be considered favorably. also be asked to shoulder higher repair prices and reduced convenience that go along with reduced repair choices? Hopefully, legislators will hear from our industry and car owners and move to finally enact Right to Repair. Visit the newly refurbished Right to Repair Web site at www.righttorepair.org, and sign a petition calling for your elected official to sign on as a sponsor, and tell your friends and colleagues to do so too. It only takes a minute, but the results could be important to the future of our industry. *at press time AFTERMARKET INSIDER | JUNE • JULY 2009 | 15 But these changing dynamics won’t prevent the auto industry from continuing to strongly oppose Right The last election brought to power to Repair. The financial losses due to a predominantly Democratic profalling new car sales mean that the consumer Congress. Significantly, manufacturers and dealers must make leadership in the House Energy and up for it through aftermarket parts Commerce Committee, where Right to Repair has thus far stalled, has changed and service sales. However, Congress must decide whether taxpayers, who significantly. Soon after the elections, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., success- are helping to foot the bill for some car companies to stay in business, should fully mounted a war to unseat Rep. http://www.righttorepair.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aftermarket Insider - June/July 2009

Aftermarket Insider - June/July 2009
Contents
President's Message
Association News
Our 10th Anniversary
Industry Events
Member Profile
Government Affairs
Campaign Update
Market Research
International Focus
AAIA and CIAPE: On a Mission
Company Profile
Inside Technology
Market Research

Aftermarket Insider - June/July 2009