NEED HELP WITH RIGHT TO REPAIR BILL

This is a second e-mail regarding the Repair Act- we now have more work to do.

The Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection had a meeting on May 17^th to gather information on the Right to Repair Act, H.R. 2048.  My information says that in attendance were representatives of the FTC, the Auto Manufacturer’s Industry and the Repair Shop Industry. (I apologize if I do not have the proper names, but you get the drift).

The next step is to do a mark up of the Bill.  In layman’s terms I think that means to look at the bill in light of the information gotten at the meeting, make changes the committee feels appropriate, add any amendments if they feel they are needed and send the bill to the full committee for hearing.

My information says that a hearing is likely by Wednesday or Thursday, May 24^th or 25^th.  So those are the times we have to let people know what our wishes are.  Actually that is the DEADLINE that we have.  Committee members need to hear our feelings ASAP and it probably will be most effective if done the beginning of next week.

Who to tell?  Below you will find a list of the Committee Members who are involved in the hearing.  You can write them, fax them, call them or send them e-mails.  It would help if you were one of their constituents (Politicians tend to listen more to people who can vote for or against them!) so be sure you let everyone you know who would be in favor of passing this bill what is going on.  I don’t care if you forward this e-mail to the motorcycling world, print it off, make copies and pass them out or whatever.  Let’s just get this message out.  Any independent mechanic or personal garage fixer on his own bike is depending on this because if it doesn’t pass and the government decides to enforce it, we could all be standing in line at the dealers because we couldn’t get the specifications, parts, equipment or knowledge to fix our own bikes.  Only when this information gets passed out to the general motorcycling world (or anyone that wishes to preserve their freedom of fixing ANY of their vehicles) will we do all that we could do.

Those Representatives on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, of which the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection is part are:

To find your local Federal congressional representative’s telephone number, etc., call (202)224-3121 or (202)225-3121, tell whoever answers the area you live in and they will provide you with telephone numbers to call, etc.or log on to Congress.org. 

Once this bill is approved of in the committee (and if we work hard it can be) then start on your local Representatives who will have to vote when the bill arrives on the floor of the Congress.  Look at the March RFJ Newspaper to find suggestions as to how to best do this.

Hope this helps.