About this article: This is an informational explainer. It does not offer legal advice or business recommendations. Sources are linked inline and listed at the end.

You may have seen the REPAIR Act in the news. It is a federal bill in Congress about car repairs. The full name is the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act. The short name is the REPAIR Act.

This guide walks through what the bill says, where it stands, who is behind it, and who is fighting it. The goal is to lay out the facts in plain language. We are not going to tell you what to think about it. We are going to show you what the bill does and let you read the sources for yourself.

What the REPAIR Act Says

The REPAIR Act has two main parts. The first part is about data. The second part is about parts.

On the data side, the bill would require carmakers to share certain vehicle information with the people who own the car. That information includes fault codes, repair manuals, the tools needed to set up new parts, and the data the car creates as it drives. The bill would also let owners share that data with the repair shop of their choice. That includes independent shops that are not part of the dealer network.

On the parts side, the bill says carmakers cannot stop other companies from making parts that work in their vehicles. This is about protecting the aftermarket parts industry. Aftermarket parts are things like replacement brake pads, alternators, and sensors — parts made by companies other than the carmaker itself.

The Federal Trade Commission would enforce the law. The FTC already has the power to go after unfair and deceptive trade practices under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The REPAIR Act would add automotive data and parts access to that enforcement authority.

The bill also gives owners some rights over the data their car collects. They can request to delete it. Companies that receive vehicle data cannot sell, transfer, or license it without limits.

Where the REPAIR Act Stands in Congress

There are two versions of the bill — one in the House, one in the Senate. They cover the same ground but go through Congress on separate tracks.

The House Bill: H.R. 1566

Representative Neal Dunn, a Republican from Florida, introduced H.R. 1566 on February 25, 2025. The bill has 43 cosponsors as of April 2026, including Republicans and Democrats. The original cosponsors were:

The bill went to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which sent it to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. On February 10, 2026, that subcommittee held a markup session and voted by voice vote to forward the bill to the full committee. A voice vote means the members shouted "yes" or "no" without being counted individually. There were no recorded objections.

That is the most recent action. The bill has not yet been voted on by the full Energy and Commerce Committee. It has not been voted on by the full House. It has not become law.

The Senate Bill: S. 1379

Senator Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat from New Mexico, introduced S. 1379 on April 9, 2025. Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, cosponsored it. The bill has 8 cosponsors total as of April 2026.

The Senate version was read twice and sent to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. It has not moved out of that committee.

The September 2026 Deadline

Supporters are pushing to add the REPAIR Act to a much bigger bill: the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act. That bigger bill funds federal highway and transit programs. Congress has to pass it by September 30, 2026, or the funding runs out. If the REPAIR Act gets attached to it, the REPAIR Act could become law as part of the larger transportation package.

What happens if the REPAIR Act does not get attached and does not pass on its own? It would have to be reintroduced in the next Congress. That is what happened with the older version, H.R. 906, in the 118th Congress (2023–2024). It did not get a floor vote. So sponsors had to start over and bring it back as H.R. 1566 in 2025.

Who Supports the REPAIR Act

The bill has support from independent repair shops, parts makers, and consumer-rights groups.

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) represents companies that make aftermarket auto parts. MEMA supports the bill. The group cites data showing that 70% of vehicle repairs after the original warranty expires happen at independent shops, not at dealerships. MEMA also points to a 2023 consumer survey. It found that 94% of vehicle owners want the freedom to choose where their car is fixed. It also found that 75% support laws that stop automakers from blocking access to vehicle data.

The Auto Care Association and The Repair Association also support the bill. So does the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents small business owners.

MEMA also notes there are 292 million registered vehicles in the U.S. and that more than 60% of independent repair shops report problems doing routine repairs because of carmaker barriers. About 50% of those shops say they have to send up to five vehicles each month back to the dealer because they cannot complete the work themselves.

Who Is Against the REPAIR Act

The two biggest groups fighting the bill are the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents the major carmakers.

NADA's official opposition statement makes four main arguments:

NADA points to two arrangements it says solve the problem already. The first is a 2014 agreement between carmakers and repair groups. The second is the National Automotive Service Task Force, which NADA says resolves about 90% of access disputes.

The SAFE Repair Act: A Competing Proposal

Three groups have proposed a different bill called the SAFE Repair Act. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation represents major carmakers. The Automotive Service Association (ASA) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) represent repair shops. As of April 2026, the SAFE Repair Act has not been formally introduced in Congress. It is a proposal in search of a sponsor.

The SAFE Repair Act covers similar ground to the REPAIR Act but with two big differences:

According to Fleet Maintenance's side-by-side comparison, the two proposals split on how to handle vehicle-generated data and where to draw the line between open access and intellectual property protection.

How State Laws Fit In

Two states have their own right-to-repair laws on the books. They are part of the same conversation as the federal REPAIR Act, and both have been in court.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts voters passed an expanded Right to Repair ballot measure in 2020. The state calls it the Data Access Law. It requires carmakers selling vehicles in Massachusetts to provide an open-access platform that lets owners and authorized repair shops access vehicle telematics data through a mobile app. The requirement applies to vehicles starting with model year 2022.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation sued to block the law, arguing federal motor vehicle safety law preempted it. In early 2025, a federal district court rejected the challenge. The Alliance appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In February 2026, the Alliance and the Massachusetts Attorney General agreed to pause the appeal to consider a settlement.

While the lawsuit has been moving through the courts, Subaru disabled the telematics systems in vehicles it sells in Massachusetts. Other carmakers responded in different ways. The state has not collected fines under the law on a large scale, but the law allows owners and repair shops to file civil lawsuits if they are denied access. Each denial is compensable by treble damages or $10,000, whichever is greater.

Maine

Maine voters approved their own right-to-repair law in 2023. It took effect on January 5, 2025. The Maine law is similar to the Massachusetts law in scope — it focuses on vehicle telematics and data access.

Implementation has stalled. The Maine law requires an independent entity to administer the data-access platform, and that entity has not yet been set up. The Maine Legislature reconvened in January 2026 to work on amendments.

Where This Goes Next

Three things to watch over the rest of 2026:

  1. The full House Energy and Commerce Committee vote. H.R. 1566 has cleared the subcommittee. The full committee vote is the next procedural step. If it passes there, it goes to the House floor.
  2. The Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act. If supporters succeed in attaching the REPAIR Act to that bigger bill, the REPAIR Act could become law as part of a transportation package due by September 30.
  3. The Massachusetts settlement. The Alliance and the Massachusetts AG could reach a settlement in 2026 that changes how the state law is enforced. That could affect how other states approach right-to-repair.

The REPAIR Act is part of a broader fight about who controls vehicle data and who can repair vehicles. People who work with vehicle service contracts, extended warranties, or warranty administration are watching closely. For a deeper look at how those questions touch warranty work, see our companion piece on right-to-repair laws and vehicle service contracts. For state compliance topics, see our state-by-state VSC guide and our automotive warranty software overview.

Sources