Texas Bill would Significantly Increase Access to all Vehicle Data
Texas State Representative Pat Curry (R-56th District) introduced HB 4555, which stipulates that a “manufacturer shall provide to each owner of a motor vehicle manufactured by the manufacturer access to vehicle-generated data generated by the owner’s vehicle without restriction, limitation, fee, license, or requiring use of a device mandated by the manufacturer to decrypt vehicle-generated data.” Manufacturers would also not be allowed to limit the number or types of people to whom an owner permits access to their vehicle’s data.
ASA opposes efforts to create new vehicle data access laws at the state level because it could cause independent repairers with facilities in multiple states have to navigate different rules. For that reason, ASA, along with the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) signed a national industry agreement in July 2023 with the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents the OEMs responsible for around 98 percent of vehicles sold in the United States. The agreement protects independent repairers’ access to repair data, even as new vehicle technologies develop.
If Congress seeks to establish federal law for vehicle data access, ASA supports the SAFE Repair Act because it would establish one consistent set of rules.
The SAFE Repair Act is a federal legislative proposal that would ensure vehicle owners can choose who they want to repair their vehicle and that their vehicle is properly repaired to safe operating condition. The bill accomplishes this objective by providing independent repairers access to the same repair data, systems, and tools needed to repair a vehicle that the OEM provides to its franchised dealers and in-house repair facilities, including telematics access. It also:
- Guarantees repairs can perform repairs in accordance with OEM repair procedures to restore vehicle safety systems and structural integrity.
- Allows consumers to choose between OEM parts and non-OEM repair parts.
- Extends the same recall and safety protections to non-OEM parts as currently required of OEM parts.
- Requires disclosure of prior alterations or repairs for used vehicles.
- Supports periodic safety inspection and post-collision inspection programs to safeguard against unsafe or improper repairs.