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STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
S.P. 899 - L.D. 2211
An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Automotive Right to
Repair Working Group
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-G, sub-§5-B is enacted to read:
5-B.
Commerce
and Trade
Motor Vehicle Right to Repair
Commission
Not Authorized 29-A MRSA
§1810,
sub-§2-A
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §1810, sub-§1, as enacted by IB 2023, c. 3, §3, is amended to
read:
1. Access to diagnostic systems. Access to the vehicle on-board diagnostic systems
of all motor vehicles, including commercial motor vehicles and heavy duty vehicles having
a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 14,000 pounds, must be standardized and made
accessible to motor vehicle owners and independent repair facilities and the access may not
require authorization by the motor vehicle manufacturer, directly or indirectly, unless that
authorization is standardized across all makes and models of motor vehicles sold in this
State and is administered by the independent entity described in subsection 2.
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §1810, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A. Definition. For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise
indicates, "owner-authorized independent repair facility" means an independent repair
facility that has been authorized by a motor vehicle owner to receive or access diagnostic
and repair information or other mechanical data pertaining to or emanating from the
owner's motor vehicle for the purpose of diagnosing or repairing the motor vehicle.
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §1810, sub-§2, as enacted by IB 2023, c. 3, §3, is repealed.
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §1810, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:
2-A. Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Commission. This subsection governs the
composition, activities and duties of the Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Commission, as
APPROVED
APRIL 13, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
660
PUBLIC LAW
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established in Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 5-B and referred to in this section as
"the commission."
A. The commission consists of the following 12 members, appointed by the Governor:
(1) Three members representing motor vehicle manufacturers, at least one of
whom must represent an organization of motor vehicle manufacturers and at least
one of whom must represent a manufacturer of heavy duty vehicles;
(2) One member representing aftermarket parts manufacturers;
(3) One member representing diagnostic tool manufacturers;
(4) One member representing aftermarket parts distributors and retailers;
(5) Three members representing independent repair facilities in the State, at least
one of whom must be an owner or operator of an independent repair facility
specializing in motor vehicle repair and at least one of whom must be an owner or
operator of an independent repair facility specializing in heavy duty vehicle repair;
(6) One member representing new motor vehicle dealers in the State;
(7) One member with expertise in automotive cybersecurity matters; and
(8) One member representing the public, who must be a resident of the State and
who serves as the chair of the commission.
In making appointments under this paragraph, the Governor may take into
consideration any nominations for appointments that are timely made by industry
stakeholders or trade associations.
B. Members of the commission are appointed to 3-year terms. The commission shall
meet at least quarterly but may meet more frequently at the chair's discretion. The
Attorney General may provide administrative support to the commission, within the
limits of existing resources.
C. The commission:
(1) Shall monitor and assess implementation of and motor vehicle manufacturers'
compliance with the requirements of this section;
(2) Shall attempt to informally resolve any complaints from motor vehicle owners
and independent repair facilities alleging motor vehicle manufacturer
noncompliance with the requirements of this section, and, if a complaint cannot be
resolved informally, consider whether to refer the matter to the Attorney General
for potential enforcement action;
(3) Shall designate one or more technical experts with whom the Attorney General
may consult in assessing enforcement referrals under subparagraph (2) and
maintaining enforcement actions under subsection 8; and
(4) May issue recommendations for best practices for motor vehicle manufacturers
to use in providing access to motor vehicle data and may solicit input from
stakeholders and other interested parties regarding privacy issues associated with
the disclosure of motor vehicle-generated data.
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D. By January 15, 2028, and annually thereafter, the commission shall submit to the
Governor, the Attorney General and the joint standing committee of the Legislature
having jurisdiction over business matters a report that:
(1) Describes the commission's activities during the preceding year;
(2) Describes any implementation or compliance issues that the commission has
identified during the preceding year; and
(3) Includes any recommendations for proposed changes to this section to address
any implementation or compliance issues, including any recommendations that
propose providing the commission with additional authority.
After reviewing the report, the joint standing committee may report out legislation
relating to the report to any regular or special session held in the same year in which
the report was received pursuant to this paragraph.
Sec. 6. 29-A MRSA §1810, sub-§3, as enacted by IB 2023, c. 3, §3, is amended to
read:
3. Model year 2002 or later motor vehicles; diagnostic repair tools, parts, software
and components. For model year 2002 or later motor vehicles, including commercial
motor vehicles and heavy duty vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than
14,000 pounds, each a manufacturer of motor vehicles sold in this State shall make
available for purchase under fair and reasonable terms by motor vehicle owners and
independent repair facilities all diagnostic repair tools, parts, software and components
incorporating the same diagnostic, functional repair and wireless capabilities that the motor
vehicle manufacturer makes available to its authorized repair shops. Each motor vehicle
manufacturer shall:
A. Provide diagnostic repair information to each aftermarket scan tool company and
each 3rd-party service information provider with whom the motor vehicle
manufacturer has appropriate licensing, contractual or confidentiality agreements for
the sole purpose of building aftermarket diagnostic tools and 3rd-party service
information publications and systems. Once a A motor vehicle manufacturer that
makes information available pursuant to this paragraph, the manufacturer is considered
to have has satisfied its obligations under this paragraph and thereafter is not
responsible for the content and functionality of aftermarket diagnostic tools or service
information systems;
B. Make available for purchase by owners of motor vehicles and by independent repair
facilities the same diagnostic and repair information, including repair technical
updates, that the motor vehicle manufacturer makes available to its authorized repair
shops through the motor vehicle manufacturer's Internet-based diagnostic and repair
information system; and
C. Provide access to the manufacturer's diagnostic and repair information system for
purchase by owners of motor vehicles and independent repair facilities on a daily,
monthly and yearly subscription basis and upon fair and reasonable terms.
All parts, tools, software and other components necessary to complete a full repair of the
vehicle, as referenced in this subsection, must be included and provided to owners of motor
vehicles and authorized owner-authorized independent repair shops facilities.
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Sec. 7. 29-A MRSA §1810, sub-§4, as enacted by IB 2023, c. 3, §3, is amended to
read:
4. Model year 2002-2017 motor vehicles; access to on-board diagnostic and repair
information system. For model year 2002-2017 motor vehicles, including commercial
motor vehicles and heavy duty vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than
14,000 pounds, a motor vehicle manufacturer shall provide a motor vehicle owner or an
owner-authorized independent repair facility with access to a vehicle's on-board diagnostic
and repair information system must be the same for an owner or an independent repair
facility as that to the same extent that access to a vehicle's on-board diagnostic and repair
information system is provided to a new vehicle dealer.
Sec. 8. 29-A MRSA §1810, sub-§5, as enacted by IB 2023, c. 3, §3, is amended to
read:
5. Model year 2018 and or later motor vehicles; access to on-board diagnostic and
repair information system. For model year 2018 and or later motor vehicles, including
commercial motor vehicles and heavy duty vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating
of more than 14,000 pounds, a motor vehicle manufacturer shall provide access to the on-
board diagnostic and repair information system must be available through use of an off-
the-shelf personal computer with sufficient memory, processor speed, connectivity and
other capabilities as specified by the motor vehicle manufacturer and:
A. A nonproprietary vehicle interface device that complies with SAE International
standard J2534, SAE International standard J1939, commonly referred to as SAE
J2534 and SAE J1939, the International Organization for Standardization standard
22900, commonly referred to as ISO 22900, or any successor to SAE J2534, SAE
J1939 or ISO 22900 as may be accepted or published by SAE International or the
International Organization for Standardization, as appropriate;
B. An on-board diagnostic and repair information system integrated into and entirely
self-contained within the vehicle, including, but not limited to, service information
systems integrated into an on-board display; and or
C. A system that provides direct access to on-board diagnostic and repair information
through a nonproprietary vehicle interface, such as ethernet, universal serial bus or
digital versatile disc.
Each motor vehicle manufacturer shall provide access to the same on-board diagnostic and
repair information available to their the motor vehicle manufacturer's dealers, including
technical updates to such on-board systems, through such nonproprietary interfaces as
referenced in this subsection. All parts, tools, software and other components necessary to
complete a full repair of a vehicle, as referenced in this subsection, must be included and
provided to motor vehicle owners and authorized owner-authorized independent repair
shops facilities.
Sec. 9. 29-A MRSA §1810, sub-§6, as enacted by IB 2023, c. 3, §3, is amended to
read:
6. Required equipment Owner-authorization access platform. Not later than one
year from the effective date of this section September 1, 2027, a manufacturer of motor
vehicles sold in this State, including commercial motor vehicles and heavy duty vehicles
having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 14,000 pounds, that uses a telematics
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system is required to equip vehicles sold in this State with an inter-operable, and
standardized and owner-authorized owner-authorization access platform across all of the
motor vehicle manufacturer's makes and models. The platform must be capable of securely
communicating all mechanical data emanating directly from the motor vehicle via direct
data connection to the platform. The platform must be directly accessible by the motor
vehicle owner through a mobile-based application and, upon the authorization of the owner,
all mechanical data must be directly accessible by an independent repair facility or a
licensed dealer as described in section 851, subsections 2 and 9, limited to the time to
complete the repair or for a period of time agreed to by the motor vehicle owner for the
purposes of maintaining, diagnosing and repairing the motor vehicle. Access must include
the ability to receive data and send commands to in-vehicle components if needed for
purposes of maintenance, diagnostics and repair. The platform must provide a motor
vehicle owner or owner-authorized independent repair facility access to the same data the
motor vehicle manufacturer makes available to its authorized repair shops. All parts, tools,
software and other components necessary to complete a full repair of the vehicle, as
referenced in this subsection, must be included and provided to a motor vehicle owners
owner and authorized independent repair shops facility authorized by a motor vehicle
owner.
Sec. 10. 29-A MRSA §1810, sub-§8, as enacted by IB 2023, c. 3, §3, is amended
to read:
8. Enforcement. If the independent entity described by subsection 2 commission has
reason to believe that a motor vehicle manufacturer has violated any provision of this
section, the independent entity commission shall notify the Attorney General. The In
response to a referral from the commission pursuant to subsection 2-A, paragraph C,
subparagraph (2), or in any other instance for which the Attorney General believes this
section may have been violated, the Attorney General shall promptly may institute any
actions or proceedings the Attorney General considers appropriate. The independent entity,
through the Attorney General, may apply to an action in the Superior Court of any county
of the State to enforce any lawful order made or action taken by the independent entity
pursuant to this section. The Attorney General may seek injunctive relief and a civil penalty
of not more than $10,000 for each violation of this section.
A motor vehicle owner or owner-authorized independent repair facility authorized by an
owner who has been denied access to mechanical data in violation of this section may
initiate a civil action seeking any remedies under law. Each denial of access is compensable
by an award of treble damages or $10,000, whichever amount is greater.
Sec. 11. Staggered terms. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A,
section 1810, subsection 2-A, paragraph B, of the members initially appointed to the Motor
Vehicle Right to Repair Commission, 4 members must be appointed to an initial term of
one year, 4 members must be appointed to an initial term of 2 years and 4 members must
be appointed to an initial term of 3 years.