Full Breakdown
Colorado’s Attempt to Carve Out Critical-Infrastructure from Right-to-Repair Law Defeated
4/30/2026, 5:49:13 AM
Background and Legislative Context
Colorado’s right-to-repair program began in 2022 with a law allowing repairs of powered-wheelchairs, expanded in 2023 to agricultural equipment, and culminated in 2024 Consumer Right to Repair law, which obliges manufacturers of phones, computers and Wi-Fi routers to provide documentation, parts, firmware and tools, while preserving carve-outs for vehicle, medical and infrastructure manufacturers. The proposal was backed by lobbying from technology firms Cisco and IBM.
Timeline of Senate Bill 90
SB 90 was introduced on April 2, 2026, passed a Senate hearing, cleared the Senate on April 16, and was rejected 7-4 by committee on April 29.
Defeat of the Critical-Infrastructure Exemption
The bill would have carved out an exemption for “critical infrastructure” – power plants, military sites and law-enforcement agencies – allowing the attorney general to grant waivers. The 7-4 committee vote stopped the amendment, leaving the 2024 law unchanged.
Government and Official Statements
Rep. Chad Clifford, co-sponsor, said the bill was meant to protect government devices and expressed pride in Colorado’s right-to-repair framework, noting information may need to stay confidential. Repair-rights groups warned that limiting repair tools would weaken cybersecurity and delay fixing IT equipment.
Repair Advocates' Opposition
Advocates from CoPIRG, Repair.org, iFixit, Consumer Reports, Blue Star Recyclers, Recycle Colorado, Environment Colorado and GreenLatinos said the “critical infrastructure” carve-out was vague and could block timely repairs of servers and routers. Cybersecurity expert Billy Rios added that hacks are remote, restricting repair tools does not improve security.
Implications and Unresolved Issues
The 7-4 defeat marks Colorado’s first challenge to its right-to-repair regime. A successful exemption could have set a precedent for other states seeking to limit repair obligations for government technology, shaping the debate over consumer repair rights versus manufacturer control. Sources note the bill did not define “critical infrastructure,” leaving uncertainty about which commercial IT devices might qualify, and no final language was released before the vote.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I’m very, very, very proud that our state has gotten this right,” — Rep. Chad Clifford, State Representative
- “That critical infrastructure needs to be protected. We 100% agree,” — Danny Katz, Executive Director, CoPIRG
- “While we were making progress at chipping away at the momentum for it, we had still been losing,” — Danny Katz, Executive Director, CoPIRG
- “So, we took nothing for granted, and I believe the incredible testimony from the broad range of cybersecurity experts, businesses, repair advocates, recyclers, and people who want the freedom to fix their stuff made a big difference.” — Danny Katz, Executive Director, CoPIRG
What’s Next
Stakeholders said they will monitor future attempts to amend the right-to-repair statutes. Repair-rights groups plan to continue lobbying for protections, while industry lobbyists may propose alternative language in upcoming sessions.
