The Right to Repair Act, which has ...

The Right to Repair Act, which has sharply divided the aftermarket, is wait fored to see passage this year.

More than 250 members of the aftermarket community gathered in Washington, DC the first pair days of March to lobby forward Right to Repair and other matters that will ultimately affect the industry during the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association's (AAIA) Legislative Summit.

count uponed to be reintroduced this year in the House through Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) and Congressman Edolphus Towns (D-NY) and in the Senate on Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC), the Right to Repair Act has caused debate among a number of organizations including AAIA and the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers favoring legislation, while the Automotive Service Association (ASA) and several others continue to believe a voluntary agreement will be sufficient to guarantee access to the necessary information to service and repair general and future vehicles. Aaron Lowe, AAIA's vice-president of regulation affairs, asserted that, "the OE like the voluntary agreement, further they are not doing the do job-work completely."

Barton provided encouragement to the attendees--his prediction is that this bill will pass in the 109th Congres in 2005 "We are working with the FTC (on several issues) the Senate and House bills will be the same reject for the numbers, and we will pass this bill this year," said Barton. Last year, the bill had 118 co-sponsors still despite all its efforts, was unlucky Barton encouraged attendees to suitable with legislators in their abiding-place towns, saying this kind of "grass stems effort" can have a herculean effect on pending legislation.

The congressman also noted that the bill would be modified during March to assure that the carmakers' intellectual attribute rights will not be influenced from the implementation of the bill. He claimed this was the same of the reasons the OE resisted the bill last year.

Aftermarket representatives emphasized that the act is equally for the motorist, who has the right, they inclemencyed to be able to access all the information about their vehicle, or have their service dealer do so

An answer to asbestos

After Right to Repair, the agenda switched to asbestos litigation. Sources say asbestos litigation is responsible for 70 corporate bankruptcy filings and the los of 60000 work at jobss Litigation supporters argued that certain distributors and retailers who sold a small amount of asbestos brake pads to service facilities or consumer are being held accountable.

The aftermarket assemblage requested legislation that would "establish a trust permanent fund supported by annual contributions of defendants and insurers, which would compensate certified victims with defined payments," according to an AAIA position paper. The legislation would allow for a get back to court if funds are insufficient for claims.

Counterfeiting conundrum

The Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured righteouss Act of 2005 (H.R. 32) also appeared forward the docket. The chief sponsor of the bill, Rep Joe Knollenberg, (R-MI), explained that just discovered legislation would tighten criminal sanctions against convicted counterfeiters by means of mandating the destruction of equipment and materials used for making and packaging counterfeit fits Also, the bill clarifies that instant law on trafficking in counterfeit items applies to labels, patches, medallions and other ancillary items. Knollenberg introduced the act during the 108th Congres The passing from hand to hand bill has 21 original co- sponsors, essentially the number that joined upon the bill after its introduction last year.

Health care help

The Small Business Health Fairness Act, HR 525 and s 406, which has been introduced into the 109th Congres was the last issue addressed by way of AAIA Summit attendees. According to the AAIA, small businesses ofttimes pay 18 percent more than big businesses for employee health care. Annual double-digit increases are not remarkable staunch supporters of this relief effort said.

The bill would enable small businesses to band together and purchase quality health care at a lower splendor AAIA says more than 170 national trade associations support this bill. N

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