Washingtonians may soon have the "right to repair" their technology
A new law waiting to be signed by the governor would give you more options when your technology breaks.
House Bill 1483 establishes a “right to repair” for consumer electronics, including tech like phones, laptops, and home appliances.
Its partner bill in the Senate (SB 5680) also establishes the right to repair electric wheelchairs.
This is part of a larger, nationwide movement to create more accessible technology. If the governor signs these bills into law, Washington will be the seventh state to have a right to repair on the books.
But, what exactly will this mean for Washingtonians? And how could this change things when your phone next takes a dive into Lake Washington?
Guests:
- Representative Mia Gregerson was the lead sponsor of House Bill 1483. She represents Washington’s 33rd district, which includes Burien, Normandy Park, Seatac, Des Moines, and parts of Renton
- Amanda Miller, Executive Director of South King Tool Library
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Libby Denkmann
Host, Soundside
Libby Denkmann joined KUOW in December 2021 as the host of the midday show Soundside. She’s a native Pacific Northwesterner who grew up in Redmond, graduated from the University of Washington, and covered local news as a producer and reporter with KIRO Radio.
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Sarah Leibovitz
Supervising Producer, Soundside
Sarah joined KUOW in 2019 as senior producer on The Record. She is now Supervising KUOW’s new noon time show, Soundside. Prior to working at KUOW, Sarah was lead producer at the Seattle podcast production company Larj Media, and a teaching artist with Path with Art.
More stories from Sarah Leibovitz »
