Colorado bill would remove the right for owners to fix their tech equipment used in critical infrastructure

Why it matters

For conservatives, repair is a property rights and taxpayer issue: owners should be able to fix powered wheelchairs, farm equipment and electronics they bought without a broad exemption narrowing the protections passed since 2022.

Senate Bill 26-090 Brings Broad Critical Infrastructure Exemption to Electronics Repair

Senate Bill 26-090 would exempt information technology equipment intended for use in critical infrastructure, creating a broad carve out from electronics repair protections in Colorado.

Pending before the Senate Business, Labor, and Technology Committee, Senate Bill 26-090 looks technical on paper. Owners asking about electronics repair cost and whether they can fix equipment they bought should watch the proposed critical infrastructure exemption in Colorado.

The concern raised is scale, not a stated vote against repair itself. A protection can be hollowed out when the broad federal policy term critical infrastructure is applied to information technology equipment, leaving owners unsure which digital electronic equipment remains covered in Colorado.

Repair Protections Expand From Wheelchairs to Farm Equipment and Electronics in Colorado

Colorado repair protections expanded through HB22-1031 for powered wheelchairs in 2022, HB23-1011 for agricultural equipment in 2023, and HB24-1121 for digital electronic equipment in 2024.

The sequence matters for readers comparing powered wheelchair repair, farm repair access and electronics repair costs. HB22-1031 in 2022 was the first repair bill in a decade, while HB23-1011 in 2023 was the first ever agricultural equipment repair bill and remains the only one passed so far in Colorado.

HB24-1121 then expanded coverage in 2024 to digital electronic equipment, and that law took effect in January. Category by category, the framework became more than a symbolic statement, extending electronics repair protections in Colorado for owners seeking to repair equipment they own.

Critical Infrastructure Exemption in Colorado Could Be Copied by Other States

Other states could copy a critical infrastructure exemption because legislatures and manufacturers look to Colorado for model language, and eight states have followed since 2022.

Since 2022, eight other states have passed repair legislation. That record explains why a change to model language matters beyond one committee hearing, especially for farmers, wheelchair users and electronics owners searching for repair cost answers in Colorado.

Manufacturers also look to the same model language, so a template matters in practice. From a limited government view, the question is whether owners keep clear repair rights for equipment they bought, or whether a technical exemption weakens protections outside Colorado.