An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Automotive
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2211
Committee: Housing and Economic Development
Sponsors: CURRY
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-G, 29-A MRSA §1810

Legislative Document
No. 2211
S.P. 899
In Senate, February 10, 2026
An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Automotive 
Right to Repair Working Group
Reference to the Committee on Housing and Economic Development suggested and 
ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator CURRY of Waldo.  (GOVERNOR'S BILL)
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Sec. 4.  29-A MRSA §1810, sub-§2, as enacted by IB 2023, c. 3, §3, is repealed.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 
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.
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.
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 
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.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the automotive right to repair law to implement the recommendations 
of the automotive right to repair working group established pursuant to Resolve 2023, 
chapter 171. The bill repeals the provision that established an independent entity and 
instead establishes the Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Commission, which is charged with, 
among other things, monitoring and assessing implementation of and motor vehicle 
manufacturers' compliance with the requirements of the automotive right to repair law. 
The bill corrects a provision in current law that applies only to motor vehicles with a 
model year of 2002 by clarifying that the provision applies to motor vehicles with a model 
year of 2002 or later. 
The bill replaces a phrase used in current law, “authorized independent repair shop,” 
with the phrase “owner-authorized independent repair facility,” meaning 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 the owner’s 
vehicle in order to repair it.
The bill establishes a new deadline of September 1, 2027 for motor vehicle 
manufacturers to comply with the requirement that vehicles sold in this State be equipped 
with inter-operable and standardized owner-authorization access platforms.
The bill makes changes to the provision in current law governing enforcement by 
removing language that requires the Attorney General to bring any action or proceeding 
necessary to enforce the law upon notice from the independent entity that the right to repair 
law may have been violated and replaces it with language that allows but doesn’t require 
the Attorney General to bring an action when the Attorney General receives a referral from 
the Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Commission or otherwise has reason to believe the right 
to repair law may have been violated. It also provides that the Attorney General may seek 
injunctive relief and a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 per violation. 
The bill clarifies that in cases when the law requires motor vehicle manufacturers to 
share data or access to data with motor vehicle owners and owner-authorized independent 
repair facilities, those manufacturers are required to provide the same data or provide access 
to the same extent as provided to the manufacturers' authorized repair shops.